Aliko Dangote

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Roads constructed with concrete pavement technology are cheeper and could last between 30 and 50 years, Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said.
Dangote who spoke in Benin City, Edo state, through the General Manager, Commercial, of the AG Dangote Construction Company, Stanley Okocha, at the flagoff of construction of Navis Street using concrete technology, promised to deliver high quality concrete roads in the state.
Navis Street which was once ravaged by flood link Forestry road and Lagos Street. The road is now being used by AG Dangote as a pilot scheme to showcase concrete road technology.
Dangote spokesman noted that the concept of concrete road is to build micro and rural roads across the country.
He assured that Navis Street would be completed within the stipulated two months, adding that the state government engineers were on site to see how the technology works.
Okocha stated that the road construction has provided jobs for residents in the area as only heads of department were brought in from outside the state.
According to him, “We call it a pilot scheme because the agreement between Dangote and the State government is to showcase concrete road.
“We want to prove to the world that it is durable, we want to prove that it is cheaper and will be effective in Nigeria.
“What we hope to do in Edo state is to bring the heads of departments to the state from outside but the work force will come from the state. We are using the human power from the state.
“Concrete can last as much as 30 to 50 years while asphalt has less life span,” he said.
The Lawmaker representing Oredo East at the Edo state House of Assembly, Hon. Osaigbovo Iyoha who was on site to inspect the work, thanked the construction company and the state government for listening to the cry of the people.
He lauded the training of youths in the area in the work force of the construction company and affirmed that it will go a long way to curb the unemployment in the state.
“They are training our people, they have about 50 personals on ground, 20 are from around this area while 30 are from across the state, So I see a better Edo and I believe very soon we will meet the challenges of unemployment,” he said.