Nigerias minister of Niger Delta Affairs has announced that the US$2.2bn East-West highway dualisation project in the region is scheduled for completion in December 2014
According to the Nigeria Daily Trust, Peter Godsay Orubebe said the 338km-long dual carriageway project is 65 per cent complete and that his ministry has so far spent about US$1.34bn on this project.
The East-West road project in the Niger Delta began in 2006 and was taken over by the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in 2010. The ministry is now seeking an additional US$880mn to complete the project within the stipulated time frame, according to the newspaper.
Other road projects in the ministry’s portfolio include the reconstruction of the 35.2km Owerri-Elele road, in Imo and Rivers States, reconstruction of the Benin-Abraka road in Edo and Delta States and construction of 12 other motorways spread across the Niger Delta.
Orubebe announced the ministry has embarked on other development projects in the Niger Delta this year. This includes the construction of nine skills development and training centres that would cater to the oil and gas, maritime, ICT and agriculture industries.
One of the centres situated in the Bayelsa State, that would train 500 students, is expected to get commissioned by the end of this year.
