Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has mandated new prerequisites for tolling the Benin-Asaba and Lagos-Abeokuta highways. Under the revised policies, toll collection can only start after 100% of one carriageway is finished.
The updated terms follow talks between the government and concessionaire Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Ltd., accounting for high inflation, currency changes, and reduced traffic from fuel hikes.
Minister Umahi stated that additional conditions around fixed designs, construction schedules, and variation limits will also take effect. He said these will upgrade project execution and monitoring under the road-focused Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) public-private partnership.
By instituting tighter contract controls, Minister Umahi hopes to optimise benefits for motorists upon project completion. Representatives from Africa Plus Partners Nigeria thanked officials for reassessing costs and standards. They remain committed to concluding financial terms so construction can commence quickly.
The negotiations demonstrate the administration’s emphasis on upgrading and responsibly governing road infrastructure via private-sector team-ups. As the new toll road guidelines indicate, oversight around quality and deadlines is now integral to HDMI’s governance.
Minister Umahi stressed the need to align concessions with Nigeria’s latest building innovations and benchmarks. Africa Plus Partners agreed to further analyse all issues raised to facilitate financial closure and accelerate project start.