The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has disclosed plans by the Federal Government to, upon completion of construction and renovation, toll the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and other major roads in the country.
Umahi disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during an inter-ministerial press briefing, as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.
“We have the Lagos-Ibadan (expressway), we are completing it and we are tolling it,” he said.
Other roads to be tolled, according to the minister, are the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kano road and Makurdi 9th Mile, among others.
Umahi said private sector members have been engaged “to bring in funds, construct these roads, work with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Works to toll these roads.”
The minister said the government will 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.
“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,” Umahi said.
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