Transport

East-West Road Gulps N80bn – SURE-P…To Be Completed May 2015

Published

11 years ago

December 24, 2014

The East-West Road project that has so far gulped the sum of N80 billion would be completed before May 29, 2015.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), General Martin Luther Agwai, during a press briefing on the East-West Roads Niger Delta project held in Port Harcourt Monday.
Agwai said the project is 82 per cent completed and blamed the delay on its earlier completion date to community problems, inadequate funding prior to SURE-P intervention, delay in market relocations, poor soil condition, cost escalation, among others.
He assured that all things being equal, “The Projects which commenced variously from 2006 are expected to be substantially completed by December 31, 2014 and final hand over by the middle of 2015,” adding that due to the importance of the roads and volume of traffic the route generates, the Federal Government had decided to upgrade the existing single carriage way of the East-West Road to a two-lane dual carriageway.
According to him, the project was 47 per cent completed when SURE-P intervened and reiterated the justification of the project due to its access to oil and gas facilities and seaport at Onne, to connect the various state capitals in the Niger Delta region and Federal Government’s response to agitation for adequate development in the South-South.
Agwai, who embarked on a two-day inspection of the projects gave a breakdown of the progress of work and monetary involvement since the inception by SURE-P in 2012, disclosing that the 87km Warri-Kaiama road which connects Effurun/Warri to Ughelli to Patani and to Kaima was 52.21 per cent complete before they took over but is now 91 per cent completed, while the sum of over N20 billion had so far been expended.
He hinted that the Port Harcourt-Ahoada 47km road which traverse Port Harcourt, Eleme Junction to Ahoada is now at 65.12 per cent completion from 23.17 per cent when it intercepted, pointing out that the sum of over N20 billion had also been spent so far.
On the Ahoada-Kaiama 54km road, the Chairman disclosed that work before SURE-P intervened was 18.21 per cent completion but is now at 55 per cent completion with over N20 billion expended, while that of Port Harcourt-Eket Road project, the sum of over N18 billion had been expended with work now at 94 per cent completed from when they took over at 73.44 per cent.
The SURE-P boss also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently awarded a 15km contract to upgrade Port Harcourt-Eleme Junction Flyover to Onne Junction at the sum of over N43 billion.
Agwai further stated that the 51km Eket-Oron Road which lies entirely in Akwa-Ibom State to connect major towns of Eket and Oron had gulped over N7 billion and 81.9 per cent completion from when they took over at 53.55 per cent.
He however assured to render quality services, appealed to communities where the roads traverse to understand and co-operate with the contractors to ensure early completion and pledged not to connive with anybody for selfish interest.

Collins Barasimeye

Transport

Automated Points Concession : FAAN Workers Gave 72hrs To Revise Decisions In PH

Published

3 months ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The trapatriate Unions conprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN), has given 72 hours Ultimatum to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Omagwa Airport, Portharcourt to revise its recent decision on the concession of Tollgates and Parks to private hands.

The chairman of the Trapatriate Union, Comrade Felix Ohwoefe gave the Ultimatum yesterday immediately after the joint Unions meeting held at the Airport office of the union, Omagwa, Portharcourt.

Comrade Ohwoefe who double as the chairman of the National Union of NUATE said the two Unions have agreed to take drastic actions if the Authority of the Airport declined to step down it’s decision of concessioning the major revenue points to private hands.

According to the Union chairman, the two union was not aware of the concession plans, and that there were no due process to the procedures.

Comrade Ohwoefe said any attempt for the Airport Management to decline it’s demands towards the concession will result to barricading all entrance and access points of the Airport.

Expressing the the challenges associated to the concession, the Union Chairman said the gesture might resulted to massive sack of workers in the Airport.

The chairman also expressed foul play on the part of either individuals or government in the terms and conditions so given to the concessionaires, demanding the reasons of contracting the automated points to private hands for only 14 millions, when the FAAN is presently generating over 28 million naira monthly, even when the tariff was not reviewed upwards.

He describes the process to the procedures as fraud with intention to increase unemployment in the state.

“We are not against the concession of the Automated points, but due process must be followed. If government is concessioning the place, we are asking what will happen to our workers in the existing units.

“Secondly, if the concessionaires is taken over, they must pay higher than what the FAAN is generating presently, we are generating to the Management over 28 Millions monthly, but we had that the private company is required to pay only 14 Millions monthly, which is far below 5 percents of what we are generating presently, even when the tariff is increased, which means there is a foul play.

“The process is fraud either on the part of individual in the Government, or Government itself.

” The unions is saying no to the Concession until we come to a terms of understanding ourselves., we are afraid of loosing workers, we don’t want to loose any workers if due process is not followed in this hard of economy, we even demanding for employment of more workers in FAAN.” Comrade Ohwoefe said.

The Union used the opportunity to called on the minister of aviation, and the President of the Country, Bola Tinubu to intervene.

When contacting the Management of the Airport Authority through the head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Ngozi V. Onyeanwuna-Nwosu, she said the management has not given her the approval to say something.

Transport

FAAN Announces Pick-Up Points for Go-Cashless Cards

Published

3 months ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced designated pick-up points for individuals wishing to obtain their Go-Cashless cards ahead of the March 1, 2026 deadline.

This was announced in a statement signed by the Director Public Affairs and Consumer protection, Henry Agbebire and made available to the Tide last Friday in Portharcourt.

According to the statement, Go-Cashless cards is at all FAAN commercial offices and access gates of Airports in the country .

The release further stated that cards will also be available at designated branches of Fidelity Bank Plc from March 16, 2026.

FAAN in the statement said the cashless policy followed the Federal Government directive mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to transition to a cashless system to enhance transparency and reduce revenue leakages as well improve transaction traceability in the Aviation sector.

FAAN reiterated its commitment to full compliance with the directive, appealing to the public for their understanding and cooperation during the transition period.

FAAN also inform that the Go-Cashless cards can still be obtained at the designated points after the March 1, deadline.

The Authority assures airport users that the initiative will promote faster, safer, and more convenient transactions across its airports nationwide.

By: Enoch Epelle

Transport

Nigeria Rates 7th For Visa Application To France —–Schengen Visa

Published

4 months ago

January 28, 2026

The Tide

Nigeria was the 7th country in 2024, which filed the most schenghen visa to France, with a total of 111,201 of schenghen visa applications made in 2025, out of which 55,833, about 50.2 percent submitted to France

Although 2025 data is unavailable, these figures from Schengen Visa Info implies that France is not merely a preferred destination, but has been a dominant access point for Nigerian short-stay travel into Europe.

France itself has received more than three million Schengen visa applications, making it the most sought-after Schengen destination globally and a leading gateway for long-haul and third-country travellers. It was the top destination for applicants from 51 countries that same year, including many without visa-exemption arrangements with the Schengen Zone, and the sole destination for applicants from seven countries.

Alison Reed, a senior analyst at the European Migration Observatory said, “France’s administrative reach shapes applicant strategy, but it also concentrates risk. If processing times lengthen or documentation standards tighten in Paris, the effects ripple quickly back to capitals such as Abuja.”

The figures underline that this pattern is not unique to Nigeria. In neighbouring West and Central African states such as Gabon, Benin, Togo and Madagascar, more than 90 per cent of Schengen visas were sought via French authorities in 2024, with Chad, Djibouti, the Central African Republic and Comoros submitting applications exclusively to France.

“France acts as the central enumeration point for many African and Asian applicants,” said Manish Khandelwal, founder of Travelobiz.com, which reported the consolidated statistics. “Historical ties, language networks and established diaspora communities all play into that concentration. But volume inevitably invites scrutiny, and that affects refusal rates and processing rigour.”

That scrutiny is visible in the rejection statistics. Of the more than three million French applications in 2024, approximately 481,139 were denied, a rejection rate of about 15.7 per cent. While this rate is lower than in some smaller Schengen states, the sheer volume of applications means France contributes significantly to the total number of refusals within the zone.

For Nigerian applicants and policymakers, one implication is the need to broaden engagement with other Schengen consular hubs. “Over-reliance on a single consulate creates what one might call administrative bottleneck effects,” said Jean-Luc Martin, a professor and expert in European integration and mobility law at Leiden University. “If applicants from Nigeria default to France without exploring legitimate alternatives in countries like Spain, Germany or the Netherlands, they expose themselves to systemic risk

Martin added that the broader context of Schengen visa policy is evolving, with the European Commission’s preparing roll-out of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) aimed at harmonising pre-travel screening across member states.

For Nigerians seeking leisure, business or educational travel to Europe, these trends suggest that strategic planning and consular diversification could become as important as the completeness of documentation and financial proof. Governments and travel consultancies in Abuja, Lagos and beyond are already advising clients to explore alternative consular pathways and to prepare for more rigorous screening criteria across all Schengen states

By: Enoch Epelle