ABUJA: Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, says the Federal Government will toll all major roads in the country upon completion of construction and renovation.
Works Minister Dave Umahi says Nigerians are ready to pay for good roads once their safety and convenience are guaranteed.
Along with other routes, he mentioned the Abuja-Kano Road, Makurdi-9th Mile, and Second Niger Bridge.
Tolls on federal highways “are going to bring a lot of money to the Federal Government,” according to the former governor of Ebonyi State.
Private sector partners have been enlisted, according to Umahi, “to bring in funds, construct these roads, and work with the Ministry of Works and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission to toll these roads.”
The minister said that his ministry will begin the tasks of the government on the completed Keffi-Makurdi Road.
He said, “For example, we are completing the Lagos-Ibadan, we are working on Makurdi to 9th Mile in Enugu State, we are working from Abuja to Lagos. These roads are going to be tolled. But we are not just tolling them, we are bringing confidence in the use of these roads.
The minister said the government would start with the Keffi-Makurdi Road that has been completed, stating that his ministry has been engaging with the Ministry of Finance for a paperless mode of payment.
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If people can travel at night because we are bringing security, where the response time will be 10 minutes on the entire corridor, where you have solar light permanently there and then reduce travel time, and through the tolling, the roads are maintained, then, there will be confidence because Nigerians will pay if the roads are good.”
He said before now, road developments have not been handled as investments but the administration of President Bola Tinubu has been handling road developments more professionally.
