By Patrick Andrew Abuja
Dangote Industries Limited and Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) have collaborated for immediate reconstruction with concrete overlay of the Apapa Wharf Road, which is a major entrance and exit point of the nation’s premier wharf. Th e project valued at N4.3 billion is jointly fi nanced by both companies which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Conference Hall of Area B Command of the Nigeria Police, yesterday. AG Dangote- a subsidiary of Dangote industries limited- will be handling the construction of the road. Th e group has constructed concrete roads in Ibese, Ogun State and currently working on roads in Obajana. Honorary Adviser to the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Engineer Joseph Makoju, said the Group was moved by the deplorable state of the road that has led to the loss of billions of naira to look for like-thinking partners to eff ect repairs and salvage the road. According to him, the deplorable state of the road has impacted negatively on businesses, activities and lives of people within the locality, adding that the state of the road crippled economic activities as people spend whole days in traffi c losing precious work hours. Makoju said the two kilometers road, which he described as the national economy’s artery and the gateway of Apapa, is vital to the nation’s economy. He described the road reconstruction is a higher form of corporate social responsibility as Dangote Group is not asking
for tax rebates, stressing that businesses need to engage with host communities through corporate social responsibility projects to ensure sustainability. “Here at Dangote, we have built houses, new towns, hospitals, schools, roads, markets and awarded scholarships in the communities where we have our operations but this is a higher form of corporate social responsibility. Th is project is a higher form of intervention on a national level, intervening in provision of critical infrastructure.” He lauded the Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority because of the extra eff orts he committed to ensure the handing over of the road for reconstruction as the project has been on ground for over a year.
Also, Makoju said the new road would be concrete based in contrast to laterite base and would have a life span of between 30 years to 50 years. He appealed to government to create enabling business environment for businesses to thrive stating that without a friendly- business environment businesses would hardly be sustained. Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, lauded the fi rms for collaborating to fi x the road. “We are here to embark on what will be the fi nal solution to a massive inconvenience business and people in Apapa suff ered over the years. Apapa is the nation’s fi rst industrial base and was served by a good rail system. Cargo and containers were moved by rail to all parts of the country. Th e road network was for transport of passengers.
Th e roads were good. “However, we allowed the rails to collapse and choose road for evacuation of containers and cargo. But we are working to stop all these. Th e minister of transport is taking steps to revive the rails and evacuation of cargo and containers from the ports.” He regretted previous governments’ palliative measures instead of concrete solution adding that the present administration has done just that: “we must thank Dangote Group and Flour mills for coming to our aid via providing the funding for the repairs. Th e repairs are estimated for the duration of one year and valued at N4.3 billion.”
