…as Works & Housing Ministry begins procurement process for highway Concessionaires
In continuation of efforts to bring private sector resources and efficiency to the development and management of federal highway corridors under its novel Highway Management and Development Initiative (HMDI), the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has today opened the e-portal https://hdmi.worksandhousing.gov.ng for the submission of Request for Qualification (RFQ) applications.
A statement from the ministry, signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Mrs Boade Akinola, made available to our correspondent said the submission of the RFQ application for the Value-Added Concession component of the HDMI, begins today, Monday, March 29.
Akinola quoted the minister as saying that the portal would ensure competitiveness and guarantee transparency in the process, adding that no staff of the ministry would interface with the public in the management of the HDMI conceived in 2020, from procurement to implementation.
The Value-Added Concession (VAC) component of the HDMI officially advertised today seeks to concession twelve federal highways to qualified individuals and consortia for management in the first phase.
According to the statement, “the 12 highways which were carefully chosen to cover the six-geopolitical zones include the Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Owerri, Shagamu-Benin, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga and Kano-Maiduguri Expressways.”
Others are Lokoja-Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba, Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta and Lagos-Badagry Expressways. They amount to a total of 1,963.24 kilometres, which is 5.6 per cent of the 35,000km Federal road network.
The statement said: “The e-portal opened today contains all the information the public needs, including access to relevant documents, news updates, and videos,” adding that the portal is vital for e-procurement as it allows the management of the PPP procurement process for the VAC category, and the process of approvals and permits under the Unbundled Assets Approval (UAA).
“In addition, it includes a Vendors Market Place for the promotion of local businesses and vendor partnerships with prospective concessionaires.”
Further discussing the advantages, the minister said “the HDMI seeks to leverage private sector investment to improve facilities and operations on the selected twelve highways, maximize the revenue-generating potential of the routes, and ensure international best practices in developing and managing the nation’s highways.”
It is pertinent to note that the Federal Government is currently executing over 700 different contracts, which aggregates to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of over 13,000 km of roads and bridges across all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory.
