Nigerian Infrastructure News

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2017-02-21T19:31:00.002+01:00

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Fourth Mainland Bridge Comes this Year

2017-02-21T18:33:00.001+01:00

The Lagos State Government is determined to commence with the construction of the fourth (4th) mainland bridge this year.

The much awaited bridge holds the prospects of opening up the Ikorodu - Lekki corridor with very great potentials for reducing travel times between the tensely populated Ikorodu axis with the new economic centres of the Island, Lekki, Aja and Epe.
Details of the bridge click here

https://i1.wp.com/nigeriarealestatehub.com

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Questions without Answers

2017-02-21T18:26:00.000+01:00

In December 2014, this blog had raised the following questions and no one still bothers to answer them even as some of the Ministers are busy defending their indefensibles.

Questions without Answers

how much has so far been spent on electricity and how much value is being generated by those expenditures?
how much has been spent on roads and how many new roads have been constructed since 1999
what is the result of the infrastructure audit report that President Jonathan promised in 2012? For an example of what the North-South Wales, Australia are doing see
Why has no contractor ever been held liable for the failure of numerous infrastructure projects when it is obvious that many just collect mobilisation and vanish into thin air?
Is Nigeria just a black-hole having her resources swallowed by a coterie of unaccountable folks?
Meanwhile $10.8billion missing fund is yet to be accounted for and those who are accused in the "theft" are being decorated in a slap on the face of accountability. If you need $14billion annually and you have $10.8billion ostensibly hidden somewhere, why not fish it out? Most likely never!

Although Goodluck Jonathan is no longer in government, it is incumbent that the ministers who come for new budgets should give indisputable stats about what they did the last term and explain why, how and where they are on a scalable format. Otherwise it makes no sense to do a merry-go round budget defence that has no potentials of being verified and scrutinized. Forget the National Assembly oversight functions, the Nigerian citizen is much more alert to policing these claims if they can lay their hands on the reports.

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Questions Fashola Should Answer

2017-02-15T17:03:00.001+01:00

2017 Infrastructure Budget Defence a farce
Fashola's Reputation at stake

The Minister for Power, Works and Housing may be having the best of two worlds: being humoured with irrelevant questions and being handed a soft landing at the current budget defence at the National assembly.

Unknown Two Billion Naira Project of a Questionable Origin

While defending his ministry's budget a few hours ago, Mr Fashola, a lawyer, who also serves as the Minister in the ministry could not give a satisfactory explanation of the source of origin of a housing project worth N2billion in the budget which he was presenting to the Senate Committee. In what looks like another budget padding case, Barnabas Gemade's Committee wondered what a nebulous Regional Housing Scheme was meant for. Washing his hands off the item, the lawyer and former governor of Lagos went the usual way of government officials by claiming the item was not part of his initial plan while averring that the strange provision was inserted by the Ministry of Finance. Makes you wonder whether this lawyer knows the implication of presenting a document he knows nothing about especially after the hullabaloo over last year's ''padded budget''

2016 Road Construction Budget

Last year, the same minister had promised to have nearly 7,000 kilometres of roads done in three years. Out of that figure, we were promised over 2,000 km for year 2016. At this year's budget defence, no one is asking how much of that has been achieved. Again, the executive arm of government may yet get away with this slip shoddy business with the meaningless acclamation that often followed the ritual of budget presentation. Nigerians want to know how many new roads were constructed last year and how many are yet to be done. We need to assess our government based on the objectives they set out to achieve through the budget they present and not by their self-proclaimed achievements. That is what representative governance means.

Implications of Questionable Regional Housing Project

The questionable project inserted in this Ministry's budget calls to question how many other unknown budgetary insertions may have been made in the budget of other ministries.
It also, pitiably calls to questin, either the integrity of Fashola or his competence. How can a lawyer be presenting a document of an unknown origin? How can the Finance Ministry insert a project into his ministry's projected expenditure without his knowing? If in deed, there was an extraneous insertion, did Mr. Fashola's copy have that provision or not? Does Fashola realize that by his misadventure of presenting before the National Assembly a document which is meant to mislead, he may be liable for prosecution and, in China, say, be liable for condemnation to death? His action clearly adds to the shame of our generation and he needs to come clean before he, one of the few heroic figures in this administration becomes a sorry case like Dasuki et al.
Finally, his laughable explanation that:

“It is not our project... It is a Ministry of Finance initiative. They are saying that they want to do what they called ... It is not from us.” adding: “That is what has come. I am explaining to you now, sir, on how it comes (sic) into our budget. That is not what we submitted. We didn’t submit that proposal,” shows that budget-padding is still alive and there might still be a plethora other hidden provisions meant for corrupt purposes in his and other ministry's budgets.

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WHERE'S THE PPP PLAN IN BUHARI'S GOVERNMENT?

2017-02-15T16:25:00.001+01:00

More than two years into a four year tenure, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari may not have a Private-Public Partnership agenda at all. This reality is confusing for potential investors and there may just be more confusion in the Nigerian infrastructure apparatchik. Already, indications exist that the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) have been battling with perceptual image problems causing friction in their operations and sending conflicting signals to different agencies of government.

Dr. Akpotaire

Aminu Diko

As a result of the confusion now ruling in the infrastructure house, a peace meeting of sorts was held at the premises of ICRC last some time ago where a rapprochement was reached. This was after nearly one year in government which shows that there might be more serious problem plaguing the business of providing facilities for growth and economic development.

The rivalry between both bodies seem to have emanated from the misunderstanding over who was superior in defining the infrastructure policy of government. Whereas the BPE midwived the ICRC, the later was supposed to be the pro-active agency designing and promoting fresh private investments in public facilities while the former was to continue and possibly wind up selling hitherto public infrastructure that were no longer viable or had become a drag on the business of public administration. Unfortunately, lack of clarity is obfuscating the service delivery of these two and the Infrastructure Advisory Committee.

In March 2016, the acting Director General of BPE, Dr. Vincent Akpotaire had met with Aminu Diko, the ICRC D.G at which the bodies resolved to work in a closer way to improve infrastructure delivery to the country. How well this has featured in subsequent pans of government is difficult to assess.

By the end of the year, the ICRC was still busy beginning for relevance. In a veiled indictment of the Buhari administration, Aminu Diko has berated the Federal Government for not using the PPP model of infrastructure-funding enough. According to Diko, '' it was also necessary for government at all levels to key into the PPP method of infrastructure delivery, given the current economic recession crunch in the country.''

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Proligacy Has A Price

2017-01-16T15:47:00.001+01:00

Switzerland and USA Seek Assurances on Proper Utilisation

“Nigeria presently stands to lose another $550m recovered from the Abacha family to the US, contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return same to Nigeria''
- Prof. Itse Sagay

Nigerians are now being cajoled into making assurances that the recently recovered General Abacha stolen wealth in the United States of America would be properly utilized just as Switzerland is still waiting for the same from the Buhari government. The series of returns from Switzerland and the UK alone are up to $5b but Nigerians are convinced that the same funds have been re-looted by subsequent government officials leading them to query whether Nigeria had become a black-hole. Now American's desirous of avoiding the wastefulness of the recent past are considering whether the returned loot should be used to rehabilitate the country's North East devastated by insurgency.

Prof. Sagay, the Special Adviser to Nigeria's president on anti-corruption speaking during an interactive session jointly organised by Hon Abike Dabiri's office and his at which attention was drawn to cold-feet of the Americans.

Sani Abacha: presided over the worst looting in the history of Nigeria

Irresponsibility or Non-Accountability?

A lot more of assets are suspected to be stashed outside as Nigeria, nearly twenty years after Abacha's death, still does not know how much was looted by the military under the former head of State. Every government since Abacha's tenure has sketched around the issue but no one has been accountable enough to compute how much was made under that government and to put a figure on how much was thought to have been looted and ferried abroad.

Trump Influence

The incoming administration of Donald Trump is believed to be very unhappy about the level of success made by Africans of their independence and had in a Freudian slip, once called for the recolonisation of Africans, especially Nigerians on account of their failure. With Trump, one step into office, it is obvious that the attitude and political temperature of the White House would change. Part of that change would be this effort to cling to Nigeria's lack of accountability as reason for delaying the return. Although political gerrymandering may delay the return of this fund, America would hardly have enough justification to be a custodian of stolen wealth for too long.
Considering the influence of America over most nations of the world, other countries may soon begin to issue their own conditionalities, albeit, making it look dejavu.
In the past when the country went to IMF and the World Bank for loans, they had always been given still conditions which resemble enslavement. The question Nigerians are asking is whether the Americans have a justification to levy conditions for returning stolen wealth.

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With More than 200,000 Electric cars on Western Roads, When Cometh Africa's?

2016-12-21T15:57:00.002+01:00

The first EV Charging Station

As at 2016, there are over 200,000 electric cars actively patrolling the streets of Europe and USA. With the increasing use of electric cars and considering the enormous benefits they offer, Nigeria Infrastructure News wonders when this would become a norm on African roads.
Consider the many gains that driving an all electric car can provide and you will see that 2017 should be the year to drive Africa on the electric car rail. We have been following the trend in the evolution of electric cars (Electric Vehicles, EV's) running on solar. It will amaze you to know that Africa should be in the fore front of EV evolution since she enjoys comparative advantage in the production of alternative energy.

For about eight years now, EVs have surfaaced in several parts of the USA and a couple of frenetic efforts are being made by auto-manufacturers, inspired by Barak Obama's alternative energy research drive. In 2012, the first leg of the chain of electric vehicle charging stations to open in the United States was commissioned in the first leg of the West Coast Electric Highway, in Oregun, consisting multiple charging stations located between 30-60 kilometres apart.

Leading EV Manufacturers

Right now, the leaders in EV manufacturing are: Chevrolet, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford, Teslar, Toyota etc (not in that order). For the current level of production of each see global population of electic vehicles

As for leading countries in the manufacturing og of electric cars, USA is the leader but China is closely following behind. Indeed, Chinese rise as a power house of EV production saw an amazing tripling of her figures in one year from 2014 to 2015. Available data shows that the leading countries are all in Asia, Europe and North America. Consumption of EV products also proliferate in the North American hemisphere as shown in this data published in January 2015.

For more information, see the per capita percentage consumption of EVs in the following data which shows Norway and Netherlands as the highest adopting nations although the USA and China had the largest per unit usage.

Global Per Capita Percentage Consumption of EVs

Where is Africa in all of this?

In 2013, there were less than thirty EVs in South Africa. No other country seems to have had any significant purchases. Lack of EV infrastructure such as charging stations and other energy renewal facilities may account for this measley figure. Presently, there are about 290 EVs and plug-in autos in South Africa, according to Wikipedia. BMW and Nissan models are leading the way. With nearly 1.5million environment friendly vehicles already sold, the question remains where is Africa in this whole equation? An Africa that has more to benefit from environmentally friendly vehicles and technologies should be muscling its way into this field much more than it is doing currently.

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SIX THOUSAND NEW ROADS TO BE BUILT IN THREE YEARS

2016-02-10T16:40:00.001+01:00

6,927 NEW ROADS TO BE BUILT BY THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THREE (3) YEARS

In what looks like the road map for road construction, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has revealed that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari plans to built over 6,900km of new roads in three years.

Speaking at the budget defence ceremony at the national Assembly, the minister said his ministry intends to increase Nigeria's stock of federal roads as follows:

Year One 2,192.76km
Year Two 2,683.63km
Year Three 2,051.59km

He put the cost the 2016 road construction at N268billion and hoped that the national assembly would support his plans.

If this amount of new roads are to come on stream this year, that means that the Federal government would be having over 37,000km of all roads in the country by December. The largest stock of roads in Nigeria is owned by the Local Governments Areas with more than half the existing 230,000 roads.

The amount of roads planned by the Federal government is exclusive of those planned by the country's 36 states and Federal Capital Territory as well as the 774 local councils.

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FASHOLA DEFENDS MINISTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET AT THE SENATE

2016-02-10T16:05:00.000+01:00

Plans to Spend N268 Billion Naira on Road Development

Nigeria to Get 2,193km New Roads this Year

The Minister of Works, Power and Housing Babatunde Fashola is appearing before the Senate Committee on Works to defend his ministry's plan to spend the the sum of N433billion this year.
The Minister says that the government plans to spend N268billion on roads thereby increasing the country's stock of roads by 2,192.76km.
In what may sound the philosophy of the 2016 budget, the minister said: ''Our resolve is that whatever we have, we will work with it and try to do the best that we can and try to get as much value as we can.''
Continuing, ''What we proposeto do, if you approve, is to spend N268billion on on roads, N99billion on housing and N66billion on power''

He also gave what would seem like a three year road development plan as follows:
Year One 2,192.76km
Year Two 2,683.63km
Year Three 2,051.59km

For the video of the defence see Channels

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2016-01-24T17:33:00.000+01:00

Global Electricity Outlook for 2016: General Electric (GE) Gives a Positive Report

Global demand for electricity is bound to increase even as life expectancy and social advancement are on the upswing so says GE report on 2016 electricity needs

Jeff Immelt, CEO

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What Is the Value of Clean Energy to Africa?

2016-01-24T17:16:00.002+01:00

Tony Elumelu Speaks at Davos WEF Meeting

The World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland will be listening to Tony Elumelu speak on the value of clean energy in Africa's energy mix. For Details See

Tony Elumelu, President HEIRS

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President Buhari to Commission Landmark Projects in Ogun State

2016-01-23T18:46:00.001+01:00

President Buhari to Witness 40years Anniversary of Creation of Ogun State

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun,

President Buhari

We understand that President Buhari would be commissioning a plethora of projects in Ogun State in commemoration of the 40th year anniversary of the state. Channels TV report

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Infrastructure: The Burden on Buhari's Shoulders

2016-01-18T11:00:00.000+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari

I had made the observation that the four years of Mohammadu Buhari would be assessed based on his ability to deliver on infrastructure sometime ago. The men that he is relying on to do this come with various qualifications and baggage. Therefore the president, Mohammadu Buhari carries on his shoulder the expectations of a demanding populace as well as the moral burden of his team thereby making his one of the most complex offices to occupy.
To star with there are hundreds of projects that have swallowed so much resources and they are no where near producing a relief for project initiators. Nigeria's history of uncompleted projects is legendary. The mountain of debts that funded those unproductive projects have either been paid or written off but dividends are not coming and may never come.

Tere are no funds to embark on fresh projects and recovering indescribable amount of stolen funds from previous administration players is become th stuff of tango. Not withstanding the odds, the administration has to find creative ways of raising funds to deliver on the infrastructure expectations otherwise, it would be very easy to classify it as a failure.

The President's Men: Burden or Blessing?

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

Amaechi, Transport

My personal view is that having dethroned his former party PDP, he had successfully proved his point. His inclusion in the cabinet with Raji Fashola may be viewed as compensation for their roles in torpedoing the former federal government but there are many symbolism that are yet to be resolved about him.

As the Chairman of the Governors Forum, his rejection by his own party sparked the confusion that cascaded down to fall of PDP. He came with a huge positive moral benefit and putting that to use, he was able to serenade the song that upturned his former party. Clearly, his is a divisive profile that lays a tough burden on the president's shoulder.

How Amaechi carries himself and how well he performs without being a further polarising force will determine how well the Buhari tenure will go.

Ibe Kachikwu

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu hardly comes to you as an oil man. He comes from an oil background but a post in Foreign Ministry or Trade and Commerce would have been more like it for me. Widely travelled and very intelligent, Buhari is hoping that his experience at Exxon-Mobil will help in turning around the petroleum infrastructure and help to release the cash burden on the president. Being head of the national oil conglomerate and the Minister of State in Charge of the Petroleum Ministry, Buhari counts on his wide education as a doctorate degree holder and his many years of being a lawyer to Texaco and Mobil to help deliver legal change to the laws that everyone agree have been an impediment to privatisation and effective involvement of the investors. Coming at a time of dwindling oil resources and a global recession, his creativity rather training will be called to greater question.

Kachikwu, Petroleum

Babatunde Raji Fashola

After successfully running the affairs of Lagos State for eight years and leaving with indelible marks, Fashola comes with premium qualities into the office of Minister of Power, Works and Housing. Much as the temptation keeps coming that he was "rewarded" with this super ministry, his pedigree in Lagos makes him eminently qualified. Age is also on his side as he is still in his early 50's. For more on Fashola's place please visit

Ogbonnaya Onu

Ogbonnaya Onu, the first civilian governor of Abia State is a first class graduate whose political star has floundered and flushed over many years. He has thee best temperament for Secretary to Federal Government or Minister of Education but the his choice as Minister of Science and Technology gives him the platform to put his training as a Chemical Engineer and distinctions at the graduate and post graduate levels to good use. His appointment present him as a square peg in a square hole.

He was a By 1976 a first class honours graduate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Lagos but he later went to obtain his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering (without passing through a Masters degree) at the reputable University of California, Berkeley, in 1980.

The highlight of his doctoral degree is his extensive work on coal liquefaction and production of synthetic fuels under mild conditions. Having shown that it was possible under relatively mild conditions to produce synthetic fuels comparable with crude oil, he has his task cut out for him this ministry. How much research and development, how many new inventions will be attributable to his tenure? We wait to see how he is able to do much with so little funds available. the nature of inventions and research do not give him much space to shine but he has the inventive pedigree to achieve the impossible.

Mohammed Bello, FCT

Pastor Uguru, Niger Delta

Onu, Technology

Adamu Suleiman, Water Resources

perform.

Who will do well? Who will flop? Please have your say... Let me know your views below.

INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES OF THE BUHARI ERA

2016-01-11T11:00:00.000+01:00

President Buhari, full of expectations

Superman Fashola: Will he be Buhari's Poster-Boy?

President Buhari would have to conjure resources to build houses, news roads, upgrade airports and avail his country men of the good life, if he is to meet the huge expectations that his coming elicited. How well he can do this is already mortgaged by political expediency, corruption of the past and dwindling national resources. He has to tread softly with the last administration figures, who have huge credibility issues and at the same time, carry along a cabinet consisting mainly of people forced upon him by political exigency. The defining infrastructures that challenge his tenure include:

Minister of Works, Housing & Power

Roads,
Power
Housing
Communication
Industrial machines
Water resources, and
Transport and Aviation

Roads, Electricity and Housing

These three mammoth sectors are the most defining of this tenure. In deed, Nigerian development planning has always revolved around how many new houses, how many hours of electricity and how healthy the roads linking the diverse parts of the country are.
In a blunt effort to reduce the number of ministries, cut down on overheads and make his administration nimble, the former military ruler has collapsed three ministries that used to be considered key ministries into one huge one. Then, he has assigned the gargantuan task to a man of immense performance capacity, Raji Fashola, the immediate past Lagos State Governor the task of piloting the index ministries for better or for worse.
Fashola was the Chief revenue officer of the Buhari campaign and made a huge impression on the president about his fund raising abilities. It is doubtful though if his role in raising campaign funds could have accounted for the humongous trust Buhari has invested in Fashola.
While serving as the governor of Nigeria's Lagos State, Fashola had proved his outstanding performance ability by the innumerable legacies he left behind in terms of roads, environmental upgrade and his stupendous determination to win where others had failed.
He superintended over what would be remembered for years as the revival of Lagos after the stubborn tenure of his predescessor and god-father, Bola Tinubu. He clearly upped the ante, set high standards and certainly made a brave effort at meeting his targets both in terms of project vision, delivery and financing.
These attributes are what Buhari is hoping will come to play in the new role as the poster-boy of the civilian era.

Major General Tunde Idiagbon, Buhari's military alter-ego

Vice President Oshinbanjo

If he succeeds Fashola would most likely be remembered as the Tunde Idiagbon of this era, not the Vice President, Professor Yemi Oshinbanjo.

Fashola's Billion-Naira Tree Planting Legacy in Danger

2016-01-05T23:03:00.000+01:00

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode

Babatunde Fashola

In a fashion reminiscent of ex-President Obasanjo's vindictive dismantling of Road Toll Gates built by Generals Sani Abacha/Babangida, the administration of Akinwunmi Ambode seems to have embarked on a massive destruction of the billion naira trees planted by his predescessor, Babatunde Fashola.
In a shocking and benumbing display of ignorance and/or vindictiveness, there is presently a rooting out of the trees planted along Ijede Road in Ikorodu. No one is sure why the trees are being cut down but it is clear that the shade hitherto provided by the trees planted by the two sides of that road are being ruthlessly cut down and if unchecked, they all stand the risk of being completely eliminated from both sides of the road. The pictures below show varying states of the trees along the road.

The bare side where the trees were cut from

A view of the tree stump

Row of cut down trees

Stump of felled tree

The original look of the road with trees on both sides

Another view of the beautiful trees before they were felled

Another Stump of felled tree

INFRASTRUCTURE: BUHARI'S BURDEN

2015-11-18T11:19:00.002+01:00

President Muhammadu Buhari

If there's a weakness that would mark the Buhari administration at the end of their tenure, it is infrastructure or, more precisely, what they are able to do in that area. To understand how that would the case, we shall be surveying those who would be spearheading the infrastructure development agenda of the administration. So far, the appointment of ministers to their portfolios shows that the following will be having more on their plate than others:

Shittu, Communications

Amaechi, Transport

Onu, Technology

Kachikwu, Petroleum

Fashola, Power, Works & Housing

Mohammed Bello, FCT

Pastor Uguru, Niger Delta

Adamu Suleiman, Water Resources

Babatunde Raji Fashola in charge of Power, Works and Housing
Mohammed Bello for Federal Capital Territory
Rotimi Amaechi minister of Transport
Pastor Usani Uguru for Niger Delta
Suleiman Adamu appointed Minister of Water Resources
Ogbonaya Onu appointed Minister of Science and Technology.
Barr. Adebayo Shittu Minister of Communication.
Ibe Kachikwu Minister of State, Petroleum.

Of all of these, Fashola, Amaechi and Mohammed Bello will be the poster-boys of this administration or they would be the signpost of failure. How Buhari would be viewed in terms of infrastructure, at the end of his tenure, will be determined by how these three perform.

Who will do well? Who will flop? Please have your say... Let me know your views below.

Second Niger Bridge: the Game Continues

2015-09-14T11:30:00.000+01:00

N30billion Counterpart Fund Allocated
Geo-technical Survey Commences

Twenty years after it was conceived, construction of the second Niger Bridge has been flagged off. Amid political shenanigans and with his sight firmly on South East votes, the President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan flagged off the construction which was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.Yet, commentators had cried blue-murder because the Bridge represents a lot of unusual (unholy) firsts.

It is the first bridge in Nigeria to be constructed by third party build operate and transfer (BOT) contractors. The life span of the BOT is said to be twenty years.

It is also the first and possibly most well known bridge that has been proposed and passed from government to government. The chain goes back to 1993 when the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida was at the tail of its doomed tenure. At least seven administrations have seen and promised this bridge without any as much as performing the ground breaking.
construction is expected to last four years baring any unforeseen circumstances.

Goodluck Jonathan while performing the ceremony said “It is my resolve and that of my administration to ensure that this unity bridge is built to connect Asaba and Onitsha. I want to urge the governors of Anambra and Delta states to ensure that the project is built on time and according to specification.” While portraying himself as determined to see the bridge completed, the then president did the most unusual thing by passing the buck to the table of the two neighbouring state governors.

Now, the 'determined' president is no where near the corridors of power. He would also not have been in a position to see his determination effected because his administration had ended up squandering the country's resources which have meant that it would not be possible to make counterpart funding.

The Muhammadu Buhari administration has signaled its intention to either back off the project or review it. After allegedly spending N10billion on the bridge, no one seems to know what the expenditure was made on. Owners of farm lands affected by the right of way according to the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission's Aminu Diko, have yet to be paid for their lands. He also alleged that there are issues of costing which, he suggests, may have been unrealistic, in the face of dwindling resources.

A close look at the instability of the project shows that it was initially said to be valued at 117billion naira but present figures suggest some thing in the neighourhood of 130billion. Why cost is an issue now is because, the purported PPP project is now thought to be a huge scam meant to defraud the Federal Government.

So, for now, the waiting game continues. Two things are clear about the project. It will not be embarked upon now because there is no money to pay and the Buhari administration has a grudge with the people of the South East, key beneficiaries of the project and his willingness to commit to this project will be coloured by his sense of priority.

Check out the latest news and analysis of infrastructure and development news on Nigeria. Your comments are import and would help in improving postings on this page. If you like what you see, or, may be there is something else we can do to satisfy you more, don't forget: leave your comments. Endeavour to Follow this page by clicking FOLLOW on the right side of this page. Larry Happiday

Slumbering Solar Facilities

2015-09-09T03:09:00.000+01:00

I am angry, disappointed and disgusted by the unimaginable waste that I see every day in Nigeria. Nothing better captures that than the plethora of rotting solar energy facilities that dot the landscape.

A country starved of electricity supply, Nigeria has been gang-raped by all manners of con men who bring fancy technologies of all kinds that fail to live up to the huge campaigns that herald them and the mountainous hopes that they generate. First it was the thermal plants, then we heard about nuclear and then, the "cheap" solar was bandied about as the panacea that the country was waiting for to leapfrog her development.

From the corners of Allen Avenue to the crevices of Toyin Street, the Ikeja axis, location of the seat of Lagos State Government are dark rat-holes in the night without light; thereby crippling any form of night life and encouraging a festering of rot and hopelessness.

The security implication of having lighted streets at night cannot be over emphasized. Indeed, street lights have been found to reduce incidences of mugging, rape, street bullying, theft and most petty stealing that take place in the night. according to a study , lighted estates tend to have more young people out at night yet with lower records of crime compared with control estates without street lighting at night.

Another study hypothesizes that the effect of street lighting on crime rate is two fold. According the writer, the availability of street lights at one and the same time, increases surveillance capabilities and discourages crime.

Check out the latest news and analysis of infrastructure and development news on Nigeria. Your comments are import and would help in improving postings on this page. If you like what you see, or, may be there is something else we can do to satisfy you more, don't forget: leave your comments. Endeavour to Follow this page by clicking FOLLOW on the right side of this page. Larry Happiday

REFINERIES ROARING BACK TO LIFE

2015-09-09T02:46:00.000+01:00

Nigeria's refineries are roaring back to life following the promise of the new President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria's fuel imports will have to drop to cost revenue flight. Reports indicate that already the Warri and Kaduna Petrochemical Companies have commenced operation after about ten (10) of turn around maintainance or repairs.
The restoration of the refineries is a fulfillment of the government that it will reduce the country's dependence on refined petroleum products which had been a source criminal ferreting of the country's scarce resources through a regime of fraudulent subsidy.
Although the combined production of the country's four (4) refineries stands at 445,000 barrels per day at full capacity, the savings on spending would go a long way towards providing direly needed financial resources to run the government, humbled by the country's dwindling earnings from low oil prices and petroleum products thefts.

The Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele said with the return of both refineries Nigeria is ''going to see a drastic reduction in the import of premium motor spirit.”

IMPLICATIONS
When the refineries resume, their produce will be transported more by pipelines than by articulated lorries and trucks. This has huge implications. Thousands of illegal refineries have been in existence all over Nigeria. Illegal bursting of pipes and stealing of refined petroleum products is also a huge industry. With the resumption of local refining, the criminal groups that profited from the perfidy of the past will not seat idly by and allow their source of wealth dry up.

SECURING THE PIPELINES
The present regime has sensibly canceled the contract hurriedly handed over to crooks and gangsters in the last month of Jonathan's administration. These are the same vandals that had exclusively vandalized the same lines during the days of militancy. How anyone would turn around to hand over the safety of the same lines to the same people beats imagination.
Meanwhile the irrational contract between the government of Jonathan and the former militants have been canceled. The cancellation adds to the spectre of insecurity and so creative alternatives must be found to guard the pipelines. One such proposal is the sourcing of aerostat balloons and drones.

Launching of the technology helped Rivers State Government to check militancy

According to security experts, the balloon when acquired will provide pictures of movements in and around the pipelines up to a radius of fifty kilometres. that means that before anyone could get into the proximity of the pipelines, there would be so many easily retrievable images of him or her that can lead to conviction.

The aerial balloon in action in Rivers State

PRESIDENT COMMISSIONS UPGRADED PLANT

2015-02-23T18:52:00.002+01:00

In an election year, there is no end to what politicians would do.
Just as President Goodluck Jonathan was commissioning a power plant that had been commissioned by one of his predecessors, General Olusegun Obasanjo, he is also reported to have gone to Egbin Power plant to commission the upgrading of the decades old power plant.
Notice that the opposition APC has made provision of power the cardinal programme of their administration, should they win the election.
Here is the report of the president's visit to Egbin

DUPLICITY IN THE COMMISSIONING OF OLORUNSOGO POWER PLANT?

2015-02-23T18:47:00.001+01:00

Our attention has just been drawn to a publication alleging that President Jonathan, in a bid to shore up his electoral chances, went to Olorunsogo Power Plant in Ogun State to commission it again after the earlier commissioning by General Olusegun Obasanjo some years ago.
Read the story of the double commissioning here

Local Content Law for Power Sector

2015-02-23T18:40:00.002+01:00

Reminiscent of the local content law in the oil and gas industry, the power sector is having its own version. The oil and gas law, after which this made provides incentives for investors in the petroleum upstream and downstream to utilise indigenous expertise where it exists and patronise local suppliers in their procurement process. The oil and gas law's success has been questionable but it is hoped that this will bring in more wealth into the hands of Nigerians who are knowledgeable about electric power services.
local content law

ELECTRICITY SOS TO GOODLUCK JONATHAN

2015-02-23T18:34:00.001+01:00

I have just come across this SOS or Save Our Soul appeal from a citizen of Nigeria. Recall that this blog had warned that customer resistance would come as a backlash to the new owners of power plants likely move to continue with business as usual.
Citizens writing to the president make good insight into the state of the nation. Enjoy this SOS

Five Reasons why Telecomms service will deteriorate further in 2015

2014-12-15T19:19:00.002+01:00

Any dream of improved telecom services in 2015 is a forlorn hope, a pipe dream. Indications are appearing that the telecom companies made up of MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat may be labouring under conditions that may worsen their output in the next twelve (12) months.

Dr. Eugene Juwah, NCC EVC

Telecoms Worries

The first and perhaps most excruciating pain in the business of the operators may be the stifling operating conditions they find themselves in. Regulatory insanity is the best way to describe the environment of the operations according to some insiders. they have, he said been battling to get the different states to approve applications for new base stations to catch up with the increase in population in different states but they are not getting the cooperation of many states.
For instance, the Federal Capital territory, Anambra and Lagos States have been having running battles with operators over:

setting up of substandard masts
failure to pay existing levies and fees
refusal to conform to new regulations for their operations

On account of this, Lagos has had to pull down some structures deemed to be constituting danger to residents and anambra had threatened to shut down operations of telecoms companies for failure to pay new charges.

The second pain in the life of operators is the dwindling resources as a result of terrorism. The huge cost of idling or damaged infrastructure in the three states of Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe are said to be in billions. The telecom operators have been shunning the business model of collocation and have individually set up base stations and other facilities in those states, as in other states of the federation. The result is that whereas they have spent huge resources to put up some of those facilities, not much in terms of returns have been made. This dilemma is complicated by the fact that they are unable to go in and dismantle their infrastructure or deploy them to other areas where they are in high need. Speaking to reporters recently, Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga, the Executive Secretary, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, had said that over "150 base stations are totally down in the North and not connected to any mobile network. The major problem, however, is the inability of network operators to go and repair them due to insecurity.” This will marginal loss is made worse by other factors.
One of those factors is the devaluation of the local currency, the Naira.

All the infrastructure of operation are imported and the foreign reserves of the country has been in questionable state for the last couple of months, coupled with the uncertainties in the oil market. The likelihood of prices of components going up is very high and there is no immediate abatement in sight.
The fourth reason telecoms companies may be in dire straits in the new year is that they have already started seeing decrease in revenue, partly because of the insecurity in the land, and partly also because of the dwindling purchasing power of the consumers. In realisation of their lowering income, they are already desperately introducing schemes and freebies which would increase traffic on the networks and possibly bring about further reduction in the quality of service

Finally, the disappointing performance of the energy sector is likely to put all former computations into tragedy. With the power companies reeling under all kinds of disgraceful statistics, there is little doubt that they would prove incapable again of providing the vital energy required to power base stations and other operations of the telecoms operators.

More Hopelessness

Any hope of improvement will depend greatly on who wins the elections next year. A victory for the ruling party will increase anomie; while the opposition party has not shown much in terms of economic savvy to give much hope of an early restoration of the economy.

Infrastructure Needs: More Demands No Accountability

2014-12-02T14:53:00.001+01:00

Have you heard Nigerian government officials speak about what is required to provide infrastructure? The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and her National Planning Ministry counterpart, Dr. Abubakar Suleiman have spoken recently but none bothered to give an idea of how much has been realised and, more importantly how well it has been utilized since the campaign for more infrastructure funding started since at least 2011.

Dr. Olarenwaju Abubakar Suleiman, National Planning Miister

Increasingly, Nigeria is multiplying her credential as the fabled black-hole into which funds enter and never return in terms of visible expenditure nor in terms of value added. Apart from the possible exception of Lagos and Akwa Ibom States, the rest of the country has been on a wild goose chase for investors but we do not see what the acclaimed investors are bringing in expect the Chinese, whose honesty in putting feasible projects on ground is crystal clear even to the blind.

To start with infrastructure funding from the federal Revenue allocation has increased tremendously. Beginning from the over $6billion dollars recovered from the Abacha family to all the billions acclaimed to have been recovered from corrupt politicians to the explosive growth in oil revenue since 1999, there is so paltry evidence to show that the country is earning better other than the protruding frames of the lucky-to-be-in-government few.

FRESH CALLS FOR INVESTMENT

On November 14 this year, National Planning Minister Dr. Suleiman was reported to have said that
about N485 trillion is required to deliver quality infrastructure across different sectors of the economy in the next 30 years. According to reports quoting him, of the said amount, 33 per cent ($1.0trn) is expected to go into Energy sector; 25 per cent ($775bn) to Transport; 13 per cent ($400bn) to Agricultural, Water and Mining sectors; 11 per cent ($350bn) to Housing and Regional development sectors; 11 per cent ($325bn) to ICT; 5 per cent ($150bn) to Social Infrastructure and 2 per cent ($50bn) to Vital Registration and Security.

As part of the strategy to ensure a hitch free implementation of the plan, the Minister is quoted to have said that "NIIMP’S 30 years planning horizon has been segmented into medium term operational plans with five years’ time frame," with the first operational plan starting in 2014-2018, with an investment outlay of $166.1 billion (N26.0 trillion).
His counterpart in the Ministry of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her part was reported to have said about the same period that “To fund infrastructure, Nigeria needs about $14 billion every year, out of which $10 billion should come from the federal level." She added that this estimate was unlikely to be comprehensive because when the total financial outlay needed to fund the Infrastructure Master plan is calculated, it may be higher.

CURRENT SPENDING
According to figures from the Ministry of Finnance, the current annual expenditure on infrastructure is in the neighbourhood of $6billion whereas the country required about $14billion annual to bridge the gap between the present and desired stock of infrastructure.

President Goodluck Jonathan: where is the Infrastructure audit report?

Questions without Answers

how much has so far been spent on electricity and how much value is being generated by those expenditures?
how much has been spent on roads and how many new roads have been constructed since 1999
what is the result of the infrastructure audit report that President Jonathan promised in 2012? For an example of what the North-South Wales, Australia are doing see
Why has no contractor ever been held liable for the failure of numerous infrastructure projects when it is obvious that many just collect mobilisation and vanish into thin air?
Is Nigeria just a black-hole having her resources swallowed by a coterie of unaccountable folks?
Meanwhile $10.8billion missing fund is yet to be accounted for and those who are accused in the "theft" are being decorated in a slap on the face of accountability. If you need $14billion annually and you have $10.8billion ostensibly hidden somewhere, why not fish it out? Most likely never!

What do you think? Send your views to larryhappiday1@gmail.com or myhappidaycommunications@gmail.com

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Implications of Questionable Regional Housing Project

WHERE'S THE PPP PLAN IN BUHARI'S GOVERNMENT?

Are you satisfied with our reports or do you have peculiar needs that you require our assistance in resolving? Put your views below or just call Editor-in-Chief Larry +234-8073030307

Proligacy Has A Price

Switzerland and USA Seek Assurances on Proper Utilisation

“Nigeria presently stands to lose another $550m recovered from the Abacha family to the US, contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return same to Nigeria'' - Prof. Itse Sagay

Irresponsibility or Non-Accountability?

Trump Influence

With More than 200,000 Electric cars on Western Roads, When Cometh Africa's?

Leading EV Manufacturers

Global Per Capita Percentage Consumption of EVs

Where is Africa in all of this?

SIX THOUSAND NEW ROADS TO BE BUILT IN THREE YEARS

6,927 NEW ROADS TO BE BUILT BY THE NIGERIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THREE (3) YEARS

FASHOLA DEFENDS MINISTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET AT THE SENATE

Plans to Spend N268 Billion Naira on Road Development

Nigeria to Get 2,193km New Roads this Year

Global Electricity Outlook for 2016: General Electric (GE) Gives a Positive Report

What Is the Value of Clean Energy to Africa?

Tony Elumelu Speaks at Davos WEF Meeting

President Buhari to Commission Landmark Projects in Ogun State

President Buhari to Witness 40years Anniversary of Creation of Ogun State

Infrastructure: The Burden on Buhari's Shoulders

The President's Men: Burden or Blessing?

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi

Ibe Kachikwu

Babatunde Raji Fashola

Ogbonnaya Onu

INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES OF THE BUHARI ERA

Superman Fashola: Will he be Buhari's Poster-Boy?

Roads, Electricity and Housing

Fashola's Billion-Naira Tree Planting Legacy in Danger

INFRASTRUCTURE: BUHARI'S BURDEN

Second Niger Bridge: the Game Continues

N30billion Counterpart Fund Allocated

Geo-technical Survey Commences

Slumbering Solar Facilities

REFINERIES ROARING BACK TO LIFE

PRESIDENT COMMISSIONS UPGRADED PLANT

DUPLICITY IN THE COMMISSIONING OF OLORUNSOGO POWER PLANT?

Local Content Law for Power Sector

ELECTRICITY SOS TO GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Five Reasons why Telecomms service will deteriorate further in 2015

Telecoms Worries

More Hopelessness

Infrastructure Needs: More Demands No Accountability

Questions without Answers

“Nigeria presently stands to lose another $550m recovered from the Abacha family to the US, contrary to the earlier promise by the U.S. to return same to Nigeria''
- Prof. Itse Sagay