Anxiety grips hotels, banks on Lagos Airport road as FG allows state to expand road
Following Wednesday’s presidential approval granted to Lagos State to expand Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) road to 10-lane, apprehension has gripped several private investments in hotels, banks and filling stations along the 20kms road.
Checks by Business Hilights on the stretch shows that about seven hotels and 11 banks premises may be pulled down to allow for the expansive widening of the road to measure up with international standards.
This is based on the mandatory allowance of 10m away from the last lane on every expressway.
It would be recalled that Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Wednesday, granted the approval to Lagos State Government to embark on a total reconstruction of the Airport Road from Oshodi.
A Press Statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tunji Bello, quoted the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, as commending the gesture and the Acting President for his statesman like approach to issues and for fast tracking the process.
The state government also stated that it currently has a design of 10 lanes to come from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop you towards the Local Airport.
The state government also said once given approval it will begin construction of the Airport Road within two weeks and finish same within a period of six months.
Ambode also gave kudos to President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the nation, adding that with the upgrading of the International Airport Road which is the gateway to the nation’s commercial nerve centre, the country will attract new investments.
The Governor had in early March this year, raised an alarm about the present state of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, describing it as a national disgrace that required immediate attention to salvage the nation’s image.
He stated then that the state presently has a design for the reconstruction of the road as well as the funds to embark on the project but was yet to get the go ahead from the Federal Government.
In his words: “The road linking Oshodi to the International Airport, you would all agree with me is a national embarrassment. In the spirit of the regeneration and urbanization that this administration has set out to achieve, we believe strongly that the image that is exhumed by the decadence of that road must be repaired and we took it upon ourselves to appropriate the 2017 budget that the House of Assembly should approve the total reconstruction of the Airport Road from Oshodi to the International Airport.
He continued, “The state currently has a design of 10 lanes to come from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover that would drop you towards the Local Airport. The contractor is already set to go and everything as I said has been completed and we already have the cash, but alas we are having challenges with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. This is a Federal and not a State road. The Federal Ministry of Works believes that they should do the road, but they have not been able to do it all these years past.”
Ambode had said if given the approval, his administration was ready to hit the ground running and begin construction of the Airport Road within two weeks and finish same within a period of six months.
Besides, the governor also implored the Federal Government to avail the state of the N2billion appropriated for the Airport Road in the 2017 National Budget to carry out the project.
“I just want to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Works, to let go or reimburse us with whatever it is that they owe us and even if they are not willing to pay us now, we have the money to do it. It is a national disgrace and we would not be part of it. We would like to do it as part of the celebration of Lagos at 50,” Governor Ambode had said then.
