By Hillary Asemota
As part of the strategic plan of the Federal Government to address funding gap which has hindered the much needed progress in the country’s road sector infrastructure, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has clinically ramped up the the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), intended to fire up President Bola Tinubu’s revolution which has already commenced in the country’s road sector.
Barr. Uche Orji, Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, acknowledged that the HDMI, which is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) window of the Federal Government is designed to bring order, accountability and profitable entrepreneurship to the operations, management and maintenance of highways development in the country.
He said optimistic that concessionaires that will emerge from HDMI will recoup their investments through toll and non-toll revenues as may be negotiated through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act.
According to him, the Act engenders renewed hope in the quest for holistic infrastructural development through the use of alternative sources of financing infrastructure in the country.
This alternative source, he added will ramp up the much-needed regulator in the Nigerian PPP space that will attract and enable the private sector to effectively partner with the public sector in the provision of critical infrastructure through a clear framework.
He quoted the Minister as saying: “Note that Nigeria is currently at the conceptual stage of developing two major highway projects, namely:
the Lagos-Abuja Super Highway, which provides a direct link from Lagos to Abuja and
the Lagos-Calabar coastal Highway that would open up the coastal communities of Nigeria, and this Renewed Hope conceptualization has the potential for enhancing vistas of opportunities in agriculture, tourism, shipping, industrialization and oil and gas.
“The Minister in furtherance of the policy direction of the Ministry on road infrastructure development and innovation is working day and night and even on weekends to ensure that Nigerians get value for the massive investments of our dear President on road infrastructure.
“He believes that the new policy on road infrastructure development can geometrically boost our economy, encourage local manufacturing and entrepreneurship, encourage education, enhance solid mineral development, and create job opportunities for Nigerians.”
