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Yuletide: Nigerian Govt. repairs, rehabilitates 24,000 km roads nationwide

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Yuletide: Nigerian Govt. repairs, rehabilitates 24,000 km roads nationwide

Yuletide: Nigerian Govt. repairs, rehabilitates 24,000 km roads nationwide

Federal Government says it is carrying out repairs and rehabilitation intervention on 24,000 km roads nationwide to ensure ease of traffic and movement of goods and services during the yuletide.

Mr Adedamola Kuti, the Director, Highway South-South, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, (FMWH), made this known on Friday during the Annual Public Sensitisation on Ember Months in Abuja.

The sensitisation is to highlight all the activities proposed and being undertaken by the ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to improve the experience of road users during the yuletide season.

Kuti, giving an update on the activities of the ministry for the yuletide said the ministry had 24,000 km of major repair and rehabilitation of roads.

“We have all together 24000 km. Major repair works, major rehabilitation, and special repairs. We have at least 156 roads, totaling about N97 billion.

“We have identified them along the major alignment of A1 to A9 routes, we have specifically restricted ourselves to A1-A6; that’s the North-South bank and then the east to west.

“A1 is starting from Lagos. Supposed to start from the port, but we are starting from the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. The dual carriageway starts from Oyo-Ogbomosho road.

“Working on the Warri-Benin road and continues towards Benin-Auchi road. Lokoja to Zuba and from Zuba – Kaduna-Zaria-Kano, there’s a major work going on there by Julius Berger and then off to Kano-Daura.’’

Kuti said that other roads receiving intervention are Aba-Owerri road, Aba-Umuahia up to the Enugu State border, and Makurdi – Akwanga-Lafia Road.

“And from Jos to Bauchi to Potiskum is in fairly good condition and from Potiskum to Maiduguri, already completed and commissioned.

“From Jos to Bauchi to Potiskum is in fairly good condition and from Potiskum to Maiduguri, already completed and commissioned.

“The strength between Otukpo-Otukpa- Enugu, that is bad contractors will soon be mobilised to start rehabilitation there to make room for enjoyable travel experience for those traveling through his route to the east,’’ Kuti said.

The Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mr Uzo Chukwuwike, speaking further on the efforts of the government to provide infrastructure for citizens said the government was doing all it could in that regard.

“The ministry always anticipate that there would be a massive movement of goods and services in both directions nationwide.

“We always gather like this to brief the public and road users on where we have hiccups before what we have done and what they should expect.

“We also plan to collect data so that we can get to know where they spend longer journey hours before what is their experience now so that we know.’’

Explaining the alternative funding for the roads said the SUKUK fund had brought about enhanced funding.

He said this had helped to complete two sections of the Kano-Maiduguri road which would have still been ongoing if they had relied on budget allocation.

“We also have completed the Ikom bridge, which would have been an impediment, which was affecting conveying goods from Calabar port to the northeastern part of the country.

“So far, we have got the notice from the Debt Management Office for this year’s SUKUK; we have not yet applied to them to know which project will be there.

“But it runs across the six geopolitical zones and the money would be evenly distributed to critical roads.

According to him, the tax credit scheme was based on the executive order signed by the president.

He said the scheme had been a successful model for financing road infrastructure.

On his part, Mr Umar Rafindadi, the Managing Director, FERMA said the agency had identified 17 interstate economic routes corridors for repair works of which Abuja-Keffi-Makurdi was part and contractors ready to begin work.

He added that Lagos-Shagamu, Onitsha-Asaba-Enugu-Abakaliki, Benin-Shagamu, Apapa-Oworoisoki, and Shagamu interchange in Ogun were all areas where the agency was making interventions for ease of traffic for the Yuletide.

Mr Kumven Rindom, representing the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said FRSC had conducted a road safety audit of all the critical roads nationwide and the reports would be delivered to the ministry and all stakeholders

“All FRSC commands have been directed to cooperate and collaborate with all stakeholders to implement the presidential directive, which was conveyed from the office of the chief of staff to ease on presidential infrastructural development sites.

“We had a meeting with all the commanding officers; they have come up with their programmes on what to do to ease traffic having identified flash-prone areas and the challenges within those justifications and those areas will be given palliative treatment.

“We have also flagged off the ember months sensitisation in all the states to create awareness among the motoring populace with this we hope to have a bunch of free traffic movement.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola reiterated that the 2nd Niger Bridge would be opened to traffic to ease movement for the Yuletide from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, 2023.

Other stakeholders in attendance that pledge their cooperation and collaboration include FRSC, the Nigerian Association of Road Transports, contractors among others

Yuletide: Nigerian Govt. repairs, rehabilitates 24,000 km roads nationwide

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Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

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Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Four Nigerian soldiers have sustained injuries in a vehicle accident on the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State.

The accident occurred on Thursday while the troops were moving across the mountainous terrain of the area, Zagazola reports.

The Emir of Mambilla, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju, was said to have personally joined in the rescue operation to ensure that the soldiers received prompt assistance.

Following the rescue, the injured personnel were evacuated to the 20 Battalion Barracks in Serti for urgent medical care.

Community members and traditional leaders in the area have expressed sympathy and prayed for the speedy recovery of the soldiers, while also calling for the safety of other security operatives on duty.

Four Soldiers Injured in Vehicle Accident on Mambilla Plateau

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UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

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UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

By: Michael Mike

The United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), in partnership with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) have wrapped up a major national initiative to support State-led electricity market reforms.

The State Learning Workshop Series focused on Electricity Market Development, Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) and energy modelling software.

Workshops in Lagos, Calabar, Kano and Jos have been successfully completed, drawing participants from all the 36 States and the FCT and setting a strong precedent for what lies ahead.

These sessions equipped policymakers, regulators and stakeholders with the tools to design robust, sustainable and investor-ready electricity markets at the State level, in line with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2023.

Reflecting on the significance of this initiative, the Director-Legal/Head Power Desk at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Chijioke Chuku,, stated that: “Nigeria’s electricity future depends on the capacity of our States to lead with vision, clarity, and technical precision. Through the workshop series, we are equipping States not just with knowledge, but with the confidence to take charge of their electricity markets. The NGF is proud to partner with UKNIAF in ensuring that the promise of the Electricity Act 2023 becomes a lived reality across the country.”

The sessions in the State Learning Workshops covered: The legal and regulatory pathways for setting up State Electricity Markets; Commercial models for private sector investment; Integration of State plans into Nigeria’s National IRP;

Practical training on the software platform for energy modelling.

The initiative drew from lessons learned in the course of UKNIAF’s work supporting the Akwa Ibom, Enugu, and Oyo State Governments—early movers in electricity market development—in setting up their markets.

It also drew from experience gained in the course of UKNIAF providing technical support to the Federal Ministry of Power in drafting both the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Nigeria’s first National Integrated Resource Plan, both of which were approved very recently.

With States now empowered by the Electricity Act 2023, this series is a timely and strategic effort to ensure capacity, coordination, and sustainability in Nigeria’s decentralised energy landscape.

UKNIAF, NGF Advance Electricity Reform with Nationwide Workshop Series

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Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community

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Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have killed three persons and injured three others in an attack on Galadi town, Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara.

Sources confirmed the incident saying the attack occurred at about 10:50 p.m. on Aug. 27.

The sources said the bandits stormed the town, shooting sporadically, which resulted in the deaths and injuries.

Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were mobilised to the scene. The corpses and injured victims were evacuated to Galadi Primary Health Care Centre for autopsy and treatment.

Meanwhile, a manhunt for the fleeing culprits has been intensified, as the bandits escaped before the arrival of the joint forces,” the sources said.

Three killed, others injured in bandits’ attack on Zamfara community

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