Chiejina Calls on Nigerians, Professionals, to Support Advocacy on use of Rigid Pavements for Road Construction

Nigerians, especially professionals in the built environment, have been urged to support advocacy for use of rigid pavements for road construction.

Group Head, Corporate Communication, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina,
made the appeal during the 2023 Annual Lecture and Awards organised by Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN), with the theme “Technology As The New Normal In Modern Infrastructure Delivery”.

Delivering a lecture on “Construction Using Rigid Pavement”, he said rigid pavement construction was more durable with a life span of over forty years, against the fifteen years or less for asphalt.

He said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, should be supported in the advocacy for introducing rigid pavements because he was pursuing quality and durable road construction.

Chiejina said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, should be supported in the advocacy for introducing rigid pavements because he was pursuing quality and durable road construction.

He urged journalists, engineers and other built sector experts to explain the benefits of the rigid pavement to Nigerians, as the needed solutions to bridging road infrastructure deficit in the nation.

Chiejina, explained the difference between rigid and flexible pavements as well as type of construction materials used for the long term and short term benefits respectively.

He listed benefits of rigid pavement, also known as concrete road, to include resistance to fuel, hydraulics, grease and other chemicals discharged by stationery vehicles.

Chiejina said although concrete roads take longer to construct and may be more expensive, they are cheaper in the long term because of less maintenance cost.

He said flexible pavements, also called asphalt road, might be cheaper to construct but on the long run more expensive due to regular maintenance from constant degeneration.

Chiejina, also listed environment-friendly attributes of the rigid pavements in addition to opportunity for recycling the materials; a situation not possible with flexible alternatives that cause high pollution and other dangers.

“From environmental stand point, the entire flexible pavement process is more polluting,” he said.

Chiejina, who received an award on behalf of the Dangote Group, commended PEWAN for the annual conference, aimed at setting agenda for infrastructure development in Nigeria.

He lamented poor reading culture threatening the real practice of journalism, urging practitioners to read widely to stay afloat and curb negative influence of the social media.

Chiejina, said the new media had increased proliferation and bastardisation of the profession such that disinformation and misinformation were on the rise.

“Journalism under threat, seige,” he said.

Earlier, chairperson of the Property and Environment Writers Association of Nigeria (PEWAN), Mrs Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie, said the annual lecture was recording landmark successes, profering solutions to issues in the nation’s built environment.

She said PEWAN, a sub group under the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), had existed since 1995 with membership that cuts across print, electronic and online media platforms.

“The PEWAN Lecture and Awards is an avenue through which we the members of the pen pushing profession steer the direction of public discourse on construction matters and volatile environmental issues.

“The lecture has the objective of inspiring ideas and robust intellectual conversations on issues affecting the built environment and the nation’s economy,” she said.

Award recipients at the event include the Dangote Group and Adedamola Kuti,
Director, Highways Construction and Rehabilitation, Federal Ministry of Works.

Others are Kunle Awobodu, founder/inaugural President, Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG); Deacon Babajide Durojaiye, Managing Director, Legrande Group and Festus Adebayo, CEO, Fesadeb Media Group.

Also awarded were John Beecroft, Managing Director, Tetramanor Ltd; Emeka Anyiam, Chief Executive Officer, PWAN Elite; Samuel Oni, Managing Director/CEO, Convvy Estates Ltd, among others who had made impact in the sector.