Senator David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has declared a prohibition on the use of laterite as a foundational material in road construction.
The directive mandates that, moving forward, contractors must incorporate lumps, sharp sand, and a stone base as the foundation prior to the installation of concrete or asphalt pavement.
This directive was delivered by the Minister during the inauguration of a committee tasked with supervising the reconstruction of the Benin – Warri dual carriageway and the dualization of the East – West Road, with a focus on the Port Harcourt – Onne Port junction road in River State.
This announcement was made through an official statement from the Ministry, signed by Lere-Adams Blessing, the Director of Information, Press, and Public Relations, in Abuja on Friday.
In her statement, it was mentioned that Umahi drew attention to the shortcomings of laterite, underscoring its constrained load-bearing capacity and susceptibility to erosion and weathering, particularly in regions with heavy rainfall.
These factors can result in road surface deterioration over time, creating maintenance complexities and a shorter lifespan.
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She quoted the Miniater as saying, ‘We are giving very serious attention to the roads between Benin and Warri. The road between Eleme and Onne Port, we are mindful of the site conditions of these roads, the water conditions and the boreholes instead of pot holes on these roads.’
‘No more laterite, contractors are now to use lumps, sharp sand and stone base in place of laterite.’
Furthermore, the Minister directed the freshly assembled Road Taskforce Team, stressing the importance of maintaining all roads that are currently in the process of construction until the projects reach completion.
He encouraged them to ensure that contractors are well-informed about these developments, underscoring that the ministry is operating under a mandate from Mr. President to rehabilitate Nigerian roads for improved mobility across the country.
Umahi said, ‘The committee must implement the contract agreement with maintenance culture as key. Committee members are to monitor the contractors closely to make sure things are done right.’
‘Our contractors can now understand that we are not insisting that things have to change without a reason, but that the society is demanding for sustainability and integrity of the work they are doing.’
Umahi disclosed that road infrastructure is a cornerstone for the transformation of commerce, education, security, and power in our nation.
He spoke of Mr. President’s unwavering commitment to improving road infrastructure, citing the Ministry’s dedication to advancing the administration’s renewed hope agenda for road infrastructure provision.
‘I want to say that road infrastructure is one of the key factors for the revolution of our commerce, education, security and power in this country and Mr President is committed to our road infrastructure, so we are on a mission and we must take back our country.’ He added.
The Minister equally demanded that the committee guarantee the daily, precise supervision and detailed record-keeping of the contractors’ activities.
Additionally, they must ensure the proper implementation of the new construction methods, which incorporate maintenance as essential project elements. Failure to adhere to these instructions will result in appropriate sanctions.