Some stakeholders and a cross-section of Nigerians have commended the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, on his commitment to the takeoff and completion of the proposed Abuja-Lagos “super” highway project.
They said the project, when completed, would be a preferred alternative means of transportation to air travel by Nigerians, plying the all-important Abuja-Lagos route.
A media professional, Mr. Ime Ufot, who is excited about the project, described it as a potential elixir for air travel that had become epileptic and whose costs have continued to rise astronomically.
The “super” highway, Ufot added, would provide Nigerians with an alternative means of movement from Abuja to Lagos and vice versa.
“I am excited that the multi-billion dollar project is one of the iconic projects the Tinubu administration would embark upon countrywide. I expect that the administration would deliver on the project within the time frame that would be allotted for it.”
Another media professional, Mr. Sufuyan Ojeifo, commended the “super” highway proposal, saying “The nitty-gritty of the project should be spelled out so that Nigerians know what to expect.
“Will the superhighway come with a component of rail line for bullet trains that can cover the distance between Lagos and Abuja in less than four hours?”
He said the minister of works, who governed Ebonyi State for the last eight years, had a track record of infrastructure development in the state.
Also speaking, an Engineer, Abubakar Ahmed, applauded the proposal, saying it would provide Nigerians who could no longer afford the increasing cost of air tickets and were left with the options of either traveling by air or on the dilapidated road network.
Recall that the minister of works had declared that trips from Lagos, the nation’s commercial centre to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), would take a minimum of four hours by the time President Bola Tinubu-led Administration completed the “super” road projects.
The stretch of road from Lagos to Abuja normally covers 717.7 kilometres and the trip will take between 10 hours and 15 hours because of the poor conditions of the road which have injured and claimed many lives of motorists and commuters through accidents, armed robbery, banditry, and kidnapping.
Umahi had undertaken inspection tours of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and Epe-Ijebu-Ode road, among others, on Thursday, last week.
He had noted that the “super” road projects being proposed by Tinubu’s presidency would solve major road infrastructure problems that were being experienced by Nigerians across the country.
While being hosted by Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State in Abeokuta, the State Capital, the minister of works had stated that the efforts of making Nigerian roads smooth and motorable had started in Lagos with the third mainland bridge and other major roads and bridges in Lagos as such roads and bridges would be fixed without inflicting pains on Nigerians.
