The deplorable state of roads across the country and the attendant losses
\nto the nation was one of the high points of discussion at this year\u2019s
\nconference of the Nigerian Society of Engineers even as the speakers made
\na case for the authorities at all levels of government to consider the use
\nof concrete as alternative option.<\/p>\n
With about $1.5 billion economic loss yearly due to bad roads, the
\nengineers at the confab themed \u201cNational Integrated Infrastructure Master
\nPlan (NIIMP): Strategies for Implementation\u201d held in Akure bemoaned the
\ninfrastructural deficit that has been the lot of the country with a
\nsubmission that infrastructural policy implementation should be taken
\nserious by government and her agencies.<\/p>\n
They argued that the major issue with the Nigeria\u2019s road infrastructure is
\nthe absence of effective and sufficient regulatory framework for effective
\nroad construction.<\/p>\n
The reaction to the unsavoury condition of the road infrastructure in the
\ncountry was ignited by the paper on \u201cImproving Service Delivery in
\nTransport Infrastructure: The Concrete Road Option\u201d presented by the
\nRegional Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement Plc, Arvin Pathak who
\ndisclosed that Nigeria records an estimated economic loss of economic of
\nbetween $1 billion and $1.5 billion every year, due to poor condition of
\nroads.<\/p>\n
Pathak, an engineer, who presented his paper during a session on
\n\u201dTransport System as a Backbone for the Actualization of NIIMP\u201d gave an
\nembarrassing vivid picture of the state of Nigerian bituminous roads
\nconstructed few years ago as opposed to concrete roads in the USA and
\nIndia which have been constructed over 80 years ago and still smooth.<\/p>\n
After giving a graphic picture of some failed bituminous roads, he said
\nhe; roads play very important part in nation\u2019s infrastructure development.
\nWell-designed concrete roads required little maintenance over 40 year
\ndesign\u00a0 \u00a0lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing concrete roads will result in less fuel consumption and less
\nemissions. Small percentage % reduction of life time energy use associated
\nwith road will have significantly positive implications on sustainable
\ndevelopment. Concrete roads are durable and safe. Less prone to wear and
\ntear and low maintenance requirements is one of the principal advantages
\nof concrete roads.\u201d<\/p>\n
Urging for a new policy that will accommodate the use concrete roads in
\nthe light of the defects of bituminous road and its attendant strain on
\nthe nation\u2019s lean economy, the Dangote Cement boss, said the country free
\nitself of frequent maintenance and overlay repeatedly increase cost and
\ncause inconvenience to users.<\/p>\n
According to him, the government would find out that Concrete road is the
\nway to go because of easy availability of indigenously produced cement,
\nuncertainty about bitumen availability in future.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cPresent cement capacity in Nigeria is around 41 million ton per
\nannum while the expected demand of cement is 20 million in 2015. The
\ncapacity of cement plants under construction is 8.5 million ton per annum.
\nAlso there is adequate quantity of cement of international quality is now
\navailable within the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is against the fact that bitumen is derived from petroleum crude and
\nthe world supply of crude is not inexhaustible. It may last for another 25
\nyears or so, but prices will continue to increase beyond expectation. it
\nis in the country\u2019s interest to conserve petroleum products and to adopt
\nmore eco-friendly and cost effective technologies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another Speaker, Engr. Ali Kashim explained that the intervention by
\nFederal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) could not achieve the desired
\nresult because the roads that it was to maintain were already failed and
\nneeded reconstruction and not maintenance.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaintenance means working on a good infrastructure to make it remain in
\ngood condition and not working on roads that had already failed and needed
\ntotal reconstruction\u201d, he stated.<\/p>\n
Earlier in his address during the opening ceremony, President Muhammadu
\nBuhari who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the
\nFederation, Babachir David Lawal lauded the roles being played by the
\nengineers and that his government would work closely with them and other
\nprofessionals to achieve the desired change promised by his government.<\/p>\n
He said he looked forward to the communique from the Conference so that
\nhis administration could use it as one of the templates for the
\ninfrastructure renewal strategy being worked on.<\/p>\n
Also speaking the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko tasked the
\nengineers to engage in more research development as well as develop
\nefficient and cost effective infrastructure for Implementation in the
\nlight of the present decayed infrastructure in the country and the
\neconomic downturn.<\/p>\n
He charged local engineers to brace up to the reality and the current
\nchallenges if they want to remain relevant to their calling as major
\nstakeholders and principal actors in the management of the nation\u2019s
\ninfrastructural development..<\/p>\n
Mimiko, who commended the engineers for the theme \u201cNational Integrated
\nInfrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) 2014: Strategies For Implementation\u201d
\nsaid his administration has used Engineering as a tool to enhance the
\nmaterial conditions of his people.<\/p>\n
The Governor said his administration has surpassed the previous
\nadministrations in terms of infrastructural development pointing out that
\n\u201cOn a comparative analysis basis, there has not been any administration in
\nOndo State\u2018s almost 40-year old history that has been as active in the
\nroads and infrastructure sector as our administration. When we came on
\nboard in 2009, we felt, and rightly too that the capacity of the
\nOyemekun\u2013Oba Adesida road was overstretched, having been constructed since
\n1976 and without any major repair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The deplorable state of roads across the country and the attendant losses to the nation was one of the high points of discussion at this year\u2019s conference of the Nigerian…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n