In his presentation, Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar noted that the Badagry-Sokoto Expressway is a Federal Government road which connects twelve (12) states which include: Lagos/Badagry, Ogun/Agbara, Oyo/Abeokuta, Kwara, Niger, Kebbi and Sokoto State at the national level, with Benin, Togo and Niger at the International level, in addition to being the Nigeria section of the Trans-West Coastal Highway project to link 12 West African coastal nations.
The lawmaker recalled that the Badagry-Sokoto Expressway was initiated as part of 4th National Development Plan, which was commenced by the General Olusegun Obasanjo regime in 1978, but was abandoned in 1979 – Over 40 years now – after he handed over power to Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
According to him, “the original conception of this expressway was a linkage road between the North and South Nigeria and some West African countries through Seme Border; to ease carriage of goods across the borders as it connects Apapa seaports and Seme land border as well as one of the largest industrial hubs in the country, the Agbara Industrial Estate.”
He further recalled that in 2009, “the Federal Government in collaboration with the Lagos State Government started the reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Badagry part of the Badagry-Sokoto expressway, from six (6) to ten (10) lanes, prompting economic development around the area, but the project was abandoned due to lack of fund, thereby affecting these economic activities negatively.”
The lawmaker added that in the same year, the Federal Government in collaboration with the Lagos State Government resumed the reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry part of the Badagry-Sokoto expressway, adding that, “nothing is being done to construct the rest of the express way.”
Umar assured that “the road if constructed, will boost food and agricultural production and connect these rural communities to major urban corridors, a necessary condition for improved agriculture value chain.
“The connection to urban corridors will increase off season employment for rural youth and sustain youth employment and employability.”
According to him, “the proximity to western neighbours of the country, will improve cross border market and international trade and help advance Nigeria’s commitment to regional and continental trade; as well as “add to the number of North South roads, enhance the durability of the roads, reduce distance and help integrate the western flack of the country into the national road structure with strong implication for national integration and development.”
Contributing, Senator Sani Musa said the road which links the Northern and Southern part of the country, “if constructed, would help free movement”, and “also sustain the lifespan of our roads that have become un-motorable.”
“I will want to use this opportunity also, to appeal to the Federal Government, to see how they can mitigate a build-operate-transfer methodology in this, because that road is economically viable.
“We can have investors that are ready to come and invest, to construct that link road between Badagry to Sokoto and then put a toll.
“It will create another economic zone for this country, looking at the fact that a lot of business will be coming in here”, the lawmaker said.
On his part, Senator Tolulope Odebiyi highlighted the numerous economic benefits accruable to the nation from the construction of the Badagry-Sokoto Expressway.
He said: “Mr. President, let me give you some historical background on the road. If you are aware, at the tip of this road, you have Agbara Industrial Estate.
“This is an estate that consist of over hundred triple A Companies. We have Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Glaxo-Smith Klein, all these estates are located at the top of this express road.
“You also have the Opic Industrial Estate that is situated on over 8,000 hectares of land with so many industries. And it is interesting to note that when this express road was being constructed, that was why Agbara Industry was setup there, so that a lot of these industries can move their goods up north, and that was the whole plan before the road was abandoned.
“Mr. President, I think if there’s one road that this country needs to build, it is this Agbara-Sokoto express road.
“I think it is economically viable, it is a road that can even be tolled and give the country the return on investments.
“I think it’s a road that enables companies to take their goods all to the neighbouring countries, especially in light of the African Continental Agreement that we have also signed now.”