Aside from distributing traffic, adding to the aesthetic value of an environment, and facilitating trade and commerce by reducing travel time, roads infrastructure renewal or construction also plays a strategic economic function of creating new jobs – direct and indirect for skilled and unskilled labour.

The Lagos State government has, in the past 2,400 days of the Babatunde Fashola administration, embarked on massive infrastructure renewal, especially in the highbrow areas of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki, and also in some middle settlements such as Surulere and Ikeja, all creating uncountable number of jobs for contractors, artisans, professionals, construction materials suppliers, etc.

At the weekend, Governor Fashola performed the handing-over ceremony of Kodesoh and Simbiat Abiola Roads, Ikeja, which were reconstructed by HFP Engineering and Mosefem Ventures, respectively, widening the roads, providing walkways, street ducts, median barriers and street lights.

The contract for the reconstruction of Kodesoh Road was awarded in March 2012 and was completed in October of the same year and, according to Hamzat Obafemi, the state commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, within this period, 272 new jobs were created in the state.

The road, which measures 600 metres long and about 19 metres wide, links the Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way to Oba Akran Road and Obafemi Awolowo Way which, in turn, leads to the Secretariat in Alausa.

The reconstruction work involved clearing of the road way, scarification of failed asphalt surface, drainage works, earthworks/stone-base course and 60mm/40mm asphalt course.

Obafemi stated that the building of the road was a demonstration of the state government’s commitment to renewing infrastructure in line with the state’s mega-city status in Africa.

2014-01-04