- Apapa Wharf Road 75% Completed, Ready This Month
The Apapa Wharf Road, being constructed by AG Dangote, has reached 75 per cent completion and will be delivered by the end of this month, the company has said.
The Project Manager, Tunde Jimoh, said the two-kilometre concrete road had been configured with a thickness of 80 centimetres to withstand heavy vehicular movement in the area.
He explained, “The road is divided into four sections to ease traffic during construction. All outbound has been completed. Presently, we are on the inbound of sections one and four, which will be completed shortly.
“The inbound of sections two and three will be completed in July, while everything about the road will end by the end of the month. The project is about 75 per cent now, the remaining 25 per cent will be completed by the end of July.”
Jimoh said the project initially suffered a setback due to gas pipelines found on the construction path.
The Project Director, AG-Dangote Construction Company Limited, Olatunbosun Kalejaiye, stated that the presence of heavy equipment on the road was to quicken construction, which began mid last year.
“Our focus is to finish the project with good quality work this month. As for longevity, the road will last for two generations,” he added.
Meanwhile, the country’s longest concrete road project also being constructed by AG Dangote has a delivery date of December this year.
The firm said commercial activities had started coming up along the 43-kilometre Obajana-Kabba Road in Kogi State.
Kalejaiye stated that so far, 29km had been completed, adding that the project was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility of Dangote Cement Plc.
During a tour of the project on Saturday, Kalejaiye stated, “There is nothing to worry. We will deliver the 43km rigid pavement road by December.”
The Project Manager, Emmanuel Akhimienho, said when completed, the road would last for more than 50 years.
The Bajana of Obajana Land, Idowu Senibi, described the project as gigantic and the first of its kind anywhere in the country.
He added, “Dangote is our son. We will protect his huge investments and the gigantic concrete road. I am happy that this is happening in my lifetime and in my kingdom. This is a great opportunity for us and many generations to come.
“Our society will be opened as you can see vehicles and commercial activities have started coming up. May God Almighty bless Dangote and all his staff members.”
According to him, Obajana was like a village before the coming of Dangote Cement Plc.
“But now, our population is about 70,000 people and is still growing,” Senibi added.
The traditional head of Akpata Land, Frederick Balogun, said Dangote Cement’s Obajana plant had brought honour and respect to the kingdom.
“Its presence has brought a total turnaround in our lives. Also permit me to appreciate the Federal Government for this joint effort. We are very grateful,” he said.
The king of Okebunku Land in Kabba Bunu Local Government, Timothy Omonile, also commended Dangote and urged other philanthropists to emulate him.
According to the firm, worried by the huge sum of money spent on road repairs, the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, had said he planned to revolutionise Nigerian roads with concrete.
“We are going to be building concrete roads in the country so that any time we build a road, we do not have to go back to repair after the third raining season, but move on and use the resources to address other pressing needs of Nigeria,” Dangote was quoted to have said.
