Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said that the Federal Government has approved the commencement of work on Nigeria-Seme-Benin Republic road project.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Minister on Communication, Mr. Hakeem Bello, on Sunday in Abuja said that the minister disclosed this at the 12th Ministerial Steering Committee and Experts Meeting for the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Programme in Lome, Togo.
The statement added that the Nigerian minister, who is also the chairman of the committee, stated that the project would be executed in a flexible manner to improve commuter service.
It explained that work on the project would be done in a manner that would make it adaptable to the results of the feasibility and technical studies.
The statement noted that Fashola expressed delight that, while the personnel of Presidents and Ministers, who launched the initiative had changed, the commitment to the project has remained unchanged.
It noted that the committee has put in place a system where meetings will now be held quarterly.
“Between 2013 and 2016, no meeting was held because of changes in government and personnel, but we have now put in place a system where we will be holding meetings quarterly,” the statement quoted Fashola as saying.
According to Fashola, this has enabled the committee to overcome the problems of signing treaties and loan agreements that has lingered for a while, although now completed.
The Nigerian minister said that the feasibility, technical, financial and related contracts had been signed by the stakeholders.
He paid glowing tribute to the founding presidents of the committee for their vision of choosing “to go far as a team rather than going fast as individuals”.
GIK/APA