The reconstruction of the roads and bridges at Ofeme Community in Abia State has been flagged off by the Federal Government and Dangote Industries Limited. The project will be handled by a subsidiary of the Dangote Group.
The project is covered under Executive Order #7 of 2019, titled Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, where “Participating investors will use tax credits to reduce corporate taxes payable to the government until they recoup the value of their investments in roads and bridges.”
AG-Dangote, the subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, has been contracted for the construction of the Ofeme Community road and bridges in Abia State, which will connect to Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
Aliko Dangote, the President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, was represented by South-South Regional Director of Dangote Cement, Okoro George, who said the project is a new dawn for the Ofeme community, while extolling the Federal Government for the Executive Order #7 which allows private sector intervention in the provision of critical infrastructure.
While explaining the reconstruction of the Ofeme community road, George stated that the 16-kilometre road will form a ring road around Ofeme and connect it at two points to the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway while the two bridges connecting the town to other communities would be rebuilt.
“The entire road network will be built on concrete pavement instead of earth pavement which gives a lifespan of about 40 years, will contain drains on both sides while the surface will be made of concrete also instead of asphalt.”
Benefits of the project to Ofeme Community
The reconstruction of the Ofeme Community road network would open the community and surrounding towns to development, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola stated about the road project.
Fashola, who was represented by Federal Controller of Works, Abia State, Nwankwo Chukwudike during the flagging off, revealed that the project would create access roads to manufacturing clusters in the area, reduce the high cost of transportation, and raise the standard of life for the people.
Adding that the movement of agriculture produce from the farming hubs will become cheaper and easier, bringing in more income.