Policy Think Tank Defends Cost of Lagos-Calabar Highway, Criticizes Atiku's Claims

Within Nigeria Apr 18, 2024

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The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a think tank of policy analysts, has defended the proposed N2.8 trillion budget for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, dismissing criticisms from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

According to IMPI Chairman Niyi Akinsiju, the group maintains that the projected cost of the highway construction is justified. They refute Atiku’s objections, asserting that ample evidence supports the cost estimation of the ambitious project.

In a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday, IMPI refuted Atiku’s assertions, labelling them as attempts to discredit the project without a valid basis. The group pointed to the successful track record of the project handling firm, particularly in constructing coastal highways with reinforced concrete, citing the Bar Beach Shoreline protection as an example.

On Atikus criticism of the project’s cost, the policy group insisted that a cost analysis of road projects similar to the Lagos-Calabar highway in some parts of the world showed that the project’s cost was appropriate.

We note that there is no unified standard pricing template for building a kilometre of road anywhere in the world. The realities of road building depend on several variables: location, terrain, type of construction, number of lanes, lane width, surface durability, and the number of bridges.

Yet, for engagement, we reviewed some cost estimates in some other countries to establish the context of fraud or otherwise that Waziri Abubakar is trying to throw up.

To build a 2-lane road of 12 metres wide of each lane with no bridges in states of North Eastern United States of America is $3.34m per km (when converted to Naira using the N1200/$ adopted by Umahi, it comes to N4.08bn per km) while the same 2-lane road in South Eastern USA with no bridges is $ 3.78m per km (N4.53bn per km)

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the average cost of building a concrete road in rural areas is around $2.5m per mile, while in urban areas it can cost upwards of $5m per mile.

In California, the estimated cost of building a concrete road ranges from $3 million to $6 million per mile, depending on the location and other factors. In Australia, average road project costs were around $5.1m (N6.12bn) per lane kilometre in 2017.

But in Bangladesh, according to the World Bank, the estimated cost of construction is $6.6m (N7.92bn) per kilometre for the Rangpur-Hatikumrul highway, $7m (N8.4bn) per kilometre for Dhaka-Sylhet highway, $11.9 million (N14.28 billion) per kilometre for Dhaka-Mawa highway. This underscores cost differentials in road construction because of peculiarities in terrains.

These figures are far higher than the N4.329 billion per kilometre of 10 lanes Coastal Road with very peculiar terrains that Umahi says Hitech has commenced construction of.

For clarity, a technical analysis of the features of the road will suffice: The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road is designed to be 10 lanes with a total pavement of 59.2 metres with 100 metres corridor. Of this corridor, there will be five lanes on the right and five lanes on the left. This comes with a 25-metre train track.

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