Nigeria’s Minister of Works Abolishes Surface Dressing on Roads, Blames High Costs and Delays
In a move aimed at improving the country’s infrastructure, Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced the abolition of surface dressing on the country’s roads. According to Umahi, surface dressing is a major source of failure for the country’s roads, allowing water to permeate the asphalt as early as two months after completion.
The announcement was made during the flagging-off of the 29th meeting of the National Council on Works, with the theme “Unlocking infrastructural potentials and opportunities as a catalyst for sustainable development under the Renewed Hope Agenda” in Abakaliki on Thursday.
Umahi also commended the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, for hosting the 36-commissioners and permanent secretaries of the Ministry of Works. The minister added that the Ministry has banned the evaluation of variation of price of materials, citing high costs as a major factor hindering the improvement of infrastructure in the country.
Umahi also faulted project delays, urging contractors to be more diligent in improving road infrastructure. He emphasized that the time is ripe for engineers to adopt new approaches and do things differently.
In response, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru announced that the government has completed 700 kilometers of roads across the state.
The abolition of surface dressing and the ban on evaluating variation of price of materials are seen as significant steps towards improving Nigeria’s infrastructure. With these measures in place, the country may be able to address the high costs and delays that have hindered its infrastructure development.
