The minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said that government is transitioning from asphalt to concrete in the construction of highways across the country.
He also revealed that 70 per cent of federal highways are being designed on concrete with a view to elongating their lifespan after construction and commissioning for public use.
The minister disclosed this when he led federal legislators and top government officials on a tour of a plant of KAMSTEEL Integrated Company Ltd in Jimba-Oja, Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State.
“We are moving from asphalt to concrete for over 70 per cent of our roads. In fact, all the roads we are designing now are being designed on concrete,” Umahi said.
The minister, who was elated with the magnitude of the KAMSTEEL plant and employment opportunities it has created, directed contractors working on the federal government’s construction projects to patronize top class local manufacturers for construction materials.
He said the patronage of local manufacturers would help in providing jobs, generate revenue for government, help in minimizing the insatiable quest for foreign products at the expense of locally made materials and in turn safeguard the nation’s currency.
