The Federal Government has established three committees to fast track the implementation of the Highway Development Management Initiative, HDMI.
Mr Uchenna Orji, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, made this disclosure in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
The three committees set up by the minister for the actualisation of the programme are Scoping and Design, Financial Due Diligence and Agreement Review.
The HDMI is a Public Private Partnership, PPP, arrangement in the construction, operations and maintenance of highways.
It is designed that the emergent concessionaires will recoup their investments through toll and non-toll revenues as may be negotiated.
During the inauguration, Umahi harped on the need for the committees to work effectively and concertedly bearing in mind the expectations of Nigerians, in terms of transparency, standard and efficiency in contract negotiations.
He explained that contract with some concessionaires had been consummated, but that the current economic dynamics and the new policy direction of the present administration would require a review of the scope of work and cost implication.
He tasked the concessionaires to abide by the criteria set and the time line for the projects.
“We own the design, you will own the cost of the project while we carry out verification on the cost of the projects; the idea is to scope the projects. We want to have a standard road infrastructure to toll,” he said.
