The Federal Government has officially inaugurated the members of the Contracts Management Team (CMT) responsible for overseeing the concession of selected roads nationwide as part of the Highways Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this announcement during a ceremony held at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, emphasizing the critical milestone reached in the project’s contract implementation phase.
The HDMI, a public-private partnership endeavour, has been in the pipeline for the past three years, with the primary goal of developing segments of Nigeria’s extensive 35,000km federal highway network.
This initiative aims to attract both expertise and investment for road infrastructure development while optimizing asset utilization within the Right of Way (RoW).
Federal Highways involved
Under the first phase of the HDMI, 12 roads were initially planned for concession, including major routes such as Benin–Asaba, Abuja–Lokoja, Kano–Katsina; Onitsha–Owerri–Aba; Shagamu–Benin; Abuja-Keffi–Akwanga; Kano–Maiduguri; Lokoja–Benin; Enugu-Port Harcourt; Ilorin-Jebba; Lagos-Abeokuta and Lagos-Badagry.
However, it was revealed that only nine of these roads achieved commercial close status.
Importance of the PPP team
In his address, Minister David Umahi, represented by Mahmuda Mamman, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, highlighted the importance of the Contract Management Team (CMT) in ensuring the successful execution of these contracts.
He stressed that the team had been carefully selected based on their potential and the value they bring to the project. Their primary responsibility will be to handle all administrative matters related to contract management and liaise effectively with the concessionaires.
In his words,
- “It is PPP’s best practice to have a contract management team and you have been carefully selected based on your potential and the value you bring on board.”
- “You are, therefore, the administrative personnel responsible for liaising with the concessionaires on matters relating to the management of the contract,”
Umahi also noted that including senior executive management representation from each concessionaire on the team was a best practice to ensure seamless work and interactions within the project.
Other government bodies involved
Mrs. Abimbola Asein, the Head of Public Private Partnership (PPP), provided a list of team representatives from various government bodies, including the Ministries of Works and Justice, the Environment, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Public Enterprise, the Debt Management Office, and the Ministry of Finance.
Mohammed Bamali, the Director of Transport Infrastructure at the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), emphasized the importance of strict adherence to contract terms and conditions.
This includes fulfilling financial obligations, meeting project specifications, collating and analyzing concessionaire reports, conducting periodic visits to project sites, addressing stakeholder needs, establishing effective communication channels, and ensuring the timely resolution of project challenges.
