President Bola Tinubu is set to commence work on the much-discussed Abuja-Lagos Super Highway as well as the Lagos-Port Harcourt Coastal Road.
This is contained in the 2024 budget proposal currently being considered by the National Assembly.
The sum of N500 million each was provided for the two road projects. A substantive number of new and ongoing road projects across the six geopolitical zones are also slated to receive the federal government’s attention during the 2024 fiscal year.
One of such new projects includes the construction of Lafia Road and the dualisation of the 9th Mile (Enugu) Otukpo-Makurdi (Keffi Phase II) Road Project (Multilateral/Bilateral Project Tied Loan), which was allocated the sum of N94.828bn.
N1.3bn was set aside for the rehabilitation of Shagamu Road in Lagos State. Rehabilitation of the access road to Apapa/Tin can Island Port/NNPC Depot was given a budgetary allocation of N143.5m.
The budget document equally made a provision of N300m for the rehabilitation of Ikorodu/Shagamu road including access road to Mosimi in Lagos State.
For the dualisation of Ibadan/Ife-Ilesha Road in Oyo State, the sum of N2.2bn was allocated, while N104m was set aside for the rehabilitation, construction, and expansion of Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan dual carriageway section I, Lagos State.
Kano-Maiduguri Road Section IV, Potiskum-Damaturu Road got an allocation of N2.1bn.
Dualisation of Aba-Ikot Ekpene road in Abia/ Akwa Ibom States was allocated the sum of N1.410bn, construction of Ikot Ekpene Border-Aba-Owerri dualisation got the sum of N1.01bn.
Rehabilitation of Odukpani Junction, -Akpet central section -Ikom-Ogoja Road in Cross River State got an allocation of N1.1bn.
The rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road, section I Odukpani-Itu Bridge head, both in Cross River State, received an allocation of N1.5bn.
The rehabilitation of three sections of the Lokoja-Abuja road was allocated a combined total of N6 billion.
The dualisation of Suleja-Minna road phase II in Niger State has an allocation of N500 million.
Another new road project that received mention is the construction and asphalt overlay of Suru-Sangelu-Afadama Road, in Kebbi State, for which a sum of N2 billion was budgeted.
Among ongoing road projects to receive attention is the dualisation of the Alkaleri Fatuk Road by Datum Nigeria in Bauchi State, which was allocated the sum of N2.055bn.
For the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, the Ministry is proposing to spend over N1bn; the same sum was budgeted for the dualisation of Kano-Katsina Road Phase l: Kano town at Dawanau Round About to Katsina.
The rehabilitation, construction, and expansion of Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriage Way Section II in Oyo State, as well as from the Lagos end, have an allocation of N2.82 million.
Residents of Lagos State may also soon have cause to cheer as the sum of N1.205bn was also captured for the repair of the Igamu Bridge, which has been in a state of disrepair.
The budget also made provisions for the construction of culverts and drains in flood-prone areas on federal roads in the southeast zone, for which a provision of N3.031bn was made.
A similar provision was made for culverts and drains in flood-prone areas of the federal road network in the North West zone, which also received the same provision as N3.031bn.
In the South-South zone, provision was also made for culverts, drains, and flood-prone areas on the federal road network in four locations in Rivers State for the sum of N2.6 billion.
According to the document, which is also displayed on the official website of the Budget Office, the ministry is proposing to spend N16.679bn under the personnel sub-head while the sum of N22,695bn is to be spent on overhead.
The ministry is also proposing to spend the sum of N145m on gaming and sports equipment. Local travel and transport was allocated the sum of N33m.
General maintenance services were allocated the sum of N18.2bn. Road and bridge maintenance is to gulp N18.1bn, while the sum of N1.3bn was set aside for miscellaneous purposes.
Meals and refreshments were allocated the sum of N20 million, while the sum of N150.8 million was set aside for honorarium and sitting allowance.
Twenty (20) million Naira was also allocated for internet access charges, just as N7 million is to be spent on sewage charges.
The sum of N15.3 million was budgeted for the anti-corruption fight. For the provision of electricity, the Ministry has a budget of N859.2 million, while the sum of N40.5 million was earmarked for plant and generator fuel costs.
There are also a number of figures repeated under different sub-heads using different codes.
Under the sub-head Construction/Provision with the code 2302, the sum of N2.4bn was captured, and the same amount of N2.4bn was captured under the sub-head Construction/Provision of Fixed Assets-General.
This was also repeated under the sub-head Rehabilitation / Repairs. In the line item with the code 2303: Rehabilitation/Repairs, the sum of N48.711bn was allocated; the same sum was captured with the code 230201 under the sub-head Rehabilitation/Repairs of Fixed Assets-General.
Training-General was allotted the sum of N420m with the code 220205, and the same amount was captured under the sub-head local training with the code 22020601.
Cleaning and fumigation services were allocated the sum of N35.5 million.
Office stationery/computer consumables is to receive N325.8 million out of the budget if approved.
The Federal Ministry of Works and the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) are to spend a combined total of N617.853bn on capital projects out of the Ministry’s N657.227bn allocation for the 2024 fiscal year. The sum of N39.374bn has been earmarked for recurrent expenses.
