The construction of 181 roads across the 57 local governments (LGs) and local council development areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State is to commence from next month.
The construction works is a consolidated action of government after a successful delivery of 114 roads within the first one and half years of the incumbent administration.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode announced the commencement of the works at an interactive Town Hall meeting in Badore-Ajah on the Island of Lagos.
Governor Ambode hinted that contract bids for the road projects would be reopened to reflect the new foreign exchange rates.
“When we opened the bid for construction of 181 roads at the beginning of this year, one U.S. dollar was exchanged for 490 naira, by the time we wanted to start the process, the rate came down to a little above 360 naira to a dollar, so it means whatever bid we were given then, will have to come down, we are going to reopen the bid in the next three weeks in the newspapers so that the construction works can begin by the end of September, by the grace of God,” he added.
Airport Road
He also hinted that the construction of a 10-lane Oshodi-International Airport Expressway would kick-off in September, noting that the integrated plans to make Lagos a Smart and competitive city was at an advanced stage.
The Governor explained that the partnership with a globally recognised waste management firm- Visionscape would in no small measure rid the state of waste at no cost to the government.
“If Lagos must be a Smart City and a globally competitive one, it must manage its waste in a globally competitive way, our deal with Visionscape is providing 500 brand new compactors, at no cost to the government and 27,500 sanitation workers will be recruited across the LGs and LCDAs,” according to Governor Ambode.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Voice of Nigeria on the sidelines of the Town Hall meeting, the Chairman of the All progressives Congress (APC) party Chairmen across the Local councils, Otunba Dengele Anifowoshe commended the concept of the civic engagement of the government.
Otunba Anifowoshe said that the initiative would go a long way in providing feedback and endear the people to the government.
Otunba Anifowoshe also stressed the need for fiscal federalism in the country to engender rapid development.
Speaking in the same vein, a Senior Citizen- Chief (Mrs) Abiodun Dina, tasked the government to remain focused on service delivery to the people.
Chief Mrs Dina also pleaded with the government to regulate the activities of sand dredgers operating by the coastlines on the Island of Lagos as she also called for an immediate solution to the roads already battered by dredging activities.
