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NIESV Lagos Branch Commissions Real Estate Library
The Lagos State
Branch of the Nigerian
Institution of Estate
Surveyors and Valuers
NIESV, has commissioned
its Library, which
is situated at the
Branch’s Secretariat in
Alausa CBD, Ikeja Lagos.
While commissioning
the Library, former
NIESV BOT Chairman
and new Chairman of
Estate Surveyors and
Valuers Registration
Board of Nigeria
ESVARBON, Gersh
Henshaw, said the Lagos
State Branch achieved
another great feat in its
history of many firsts.
He described the Library
as a beautiful and
conducive place for research
and knowledge
acquisition.
According to him, "I am
very happy to be part of
this event today. This library
will now become a
resource centre for estate
surveyors and valuers in
Lagos. This is very laudable.
I commend the
Branch Chairman and
the Exco who made this
project a reality.
The Chairman of the
Branch, Mr. Adedotun
Bamigbola, a fellow of
the institution, said the
library would operate as
both physical and virtual
knowledge space for real
estate practitioners who
are members of the
Branch.
He said, "The NIESV
Lagos State Branch Library
is a project of high
importance which has
run through several Executive
Committees of
the Branch in the last
eight years and so, we
are happy that we are
now able to make it come
on stream just before the
end of the current Executive
Committee of the
Branch.
"The Library is built in
partnership with
Echostone Nigeria Limited,
a housing development
firm which is also
trying to do something
critical for real estate
knowledge development.
We are happy that
this is a partnership that
Vanguard, TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 — 29
has worked and we are
grateful to the company
for partnering with us on
the library project.
"The Library will function
as both physical and
online library as we have
computers activated with
internet at the library and
the library is open Monday
to Friday between
9am and 4pm just before
the Secretary closes at
5pm."
While noting that the
library is now stocked
with very relevant and
contemporary books in
Estate Management,
Bamigbola said more
books are still welcome
at the library to fill up
its many shelf cells.
He urged students of
Estate Management
who are members of
the Branch to make
good use of the Library.
"We want to implore
members of the
Branch and other
stakeholders in the
real estate sector to donate
books to the library,"
he said.
By Kingsley Adegboye
Bridges in Lagos,
particularly Apapa
axis, are at a risk of collapse
because of the weight of
parked heavy-duty trucks on
them.
These bridges are under
great stress from immobile
articulated vehicles, a
situation worsened by
recurring gridlocks and the
deplorable state of roads
leading to ports and tank
farms.
An empty 20-feet
container weighs 2,000
kilogrammes. A 40-feet
container doubles the
kilogrammes. With an
average truck weighing
about 14,000 kilogrammes,
the total weight of 25
stationary trucks on a bridge
for instance, could be around
450,000 kilogrammes. This is
besides the weight of other
vehicles. The implication is
that the bridges in Apapa
could be carrying several
million kilogrammes of
weight daily.
Commenting on the
situation, a structural
engineer and former
president, Nigerian
Institution of Structural
Engineers NIStructE, Victor
Oyenuga, said “It is not right
for trucks and tankers to park
on bridges because the
bridges were not designed
as parks for them. When
ollowing its promise to
F complete all inherited
projects, and to also embark on
new ones that will be the
bedrock of the state's
developmental agenda
tagged T.H/E.M.E.S.,
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu/
Obafemi
Hamzat
administration says it has
completed the construction of
51 road projects with 43
ongoing across the state since
its inception.
Disclosing this at the 2021
Ministerial Press Briefing to
present the score card of
Governor Sanwo-Olu
administration's 731 days in
office, Special Adviser to the
governor on Works and
Infrastructure, Engr. (Mrs.)
Aramide Adeyoye, said the
number of roads delivered and
ongoing, is in addition to over
23 public building
infrastructure that the Office of
Works is providing for the good
people of Lagos state.
The Special Adviser added
that “For the records, it is
pertinent to state that the
roads selected for design,
award, construction and
execution are on the basis of
improved connectivity, in sync
Apapa bridges at risk of collapse over weight
of parked heavy-duty trucks — Experts
•One of the bridges in Apapa axis
these vehicles are stationary
on the bridges for a long time,
they have negative impacts.
with inter-modal transport
system and urban
regeneration plans of this
administration. In this regard,
I am happy to announce that
the infrastructure roadmap for
Lagos would be presented to
the public before the end of this
year”.
She said in the last two years,
the administration has
continued with its aggressive
campaign on delivery of roads
and bridges, massive repair
and rehabilitation of existing
roads and construction of new
road projects.
According to Adeyoye, “The
state government through the
Ministry of Works and
Infrastructure has continued to
deliberately invest in
infrastructure as the
development driver of the state
economy and the Greater
Lagos Vision, provide jobs for
hundreds of our people as well
as bring immediate impactful
succour to commuters in the
state.
“Aside the continual
intervention on repairs and
maintenance of over 632 inner
roads covering approximately
192 km across the state by our
Agency, the Public Works
These include deterioration,
bridge-fatigue, damage or
even collapse.
Corporation, the Ministry of
Works and Infrastructure has
also completed the
construction of 51 road projects
with 43 ongoing road projects
across the three senatorial
districts of the state. This is in
addition to over 24 public
building infrastructure that we
are providing for the good
people of Lagos state”.
On continual intervention on
maintenance/rehabilitation of
inner roads, she said “The
status of roads at inception of
this administration was that
most of our roads were in a
deplorable condition due to
high rate of usage and heavy
rains. The metropolis was
littered with potholes, nonfunctional
drains and extensive
level of dilapidation with the
resultant effect of gridlocks,
increase in travel time and
unavoidable stress to the
citizenry and commuting
public.
“Thus far, the Ministry of
Works and Infrastructure and
its Agency, Public Works
Corporation have succeeded
in the re-instatement of most
of the roads that needed
immediate intervention and
have also aggressively
“There is also the risk of fire
outbreak. If any of the
articulated vehicles catches
addressed the bad state of road
infrastructure. The Lagos State
Public Works Corporation since
inception of this administration
to date, has intervened on a
total of 632 roads, covering
approximately 192 km
assuming an average
carriageway width of 7.3
metres”.
The Special Adviser noted
that the completed roads
include 31 strategic network of
roads in Ojokoro Local Council
Development Area LCDA,
construction of Aradagun-
Imeke-Iworo-Ajido-Epeme
Road Phase 2, reconstruction
of Jide Oki/Ade Odederin/
Moshood Olugbana Streets in
Eti Osa, Lagos-Ogun
boundary road phase 2 in
Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, dual
carriageway flyover at Pen
Cinema in Agege LGA,
Hospital Road in Badagry
LGA, Ariyo (Mile 10)-Ira-
Muwo-Tedi-Abule Oshun
Road alignment with
reinforced concrete bridges and
completion of Agboju-Trade
Fair section of the Lagos-
Badagry Expressway.
Others are rehabilitation/
upgrading of Alhaji Akinwumi
Street in Mushin,
fire, there would be a chain
reaction, which can cause
severe damage to the bridge.
Lagos completes 51 road projects in 2 years, 43 ongoing
rehabilitation and upgrading
of Fadipe/Odubanjo/
Eyiowuawi/Salami Streets in
Somolu LGA, rehabilitation
and upgrading of the six
kilometre phase 1 of 11
kilometre-long Ijede Road,
construction of Agric-Isawo
Road in Ikorodu, rehabilitation
and upgrading of Igbogbo-
Bola Ahmed Tinubu-Igbe
Road, Agric Access Road
(Bamidele Kasali Street/Dosu
Ekunrin Road) Egan Road
section Phase 2B, construction
of Samuel Ekundayo/Toga
Road in Badagry LGA,
rehabilitation of Oba
Sekumade Road in Ikorodu
LGA, construction of Ishefun-
Camp Davies-Ijon Road
network in Alimosho LGA,
construction of access road with
bridges to Oregun Amusement
Recreation Park, construction
of Egan-Ayobo link bridge in
Igando-Ikotun LCDA,
rehabilitation/upgrading of
strategic arterial roads Phase 2
in Epe LGA.
They also include
rehabilitationof Ikorodu Road
from Ojota interchange to 2nd
pedestrian bridge,
rehabilitation of Adeola
Hopewell Street in Iru-Victoria
Island LCDA and several
others.
We are sitting on a keg of
gunpowder because the
bridges are weakening by the
day, as tankers, trucks and
articulated vehicles park on
them due to traffic
congestion.
“The load on these bridges,
not originally designed to
host heavy static vehicles,
and a lack of consistent and
thorough maintenance could
spell tragedy”.
The past president of
NIStructE who noted that
bridges are designed for
movement of goods and
services said, “So, as
structural engineers, we
condemn this indiscriminate
parking of trucks and tankers
on bridges. It is not advisable,
and we urge the government
to address the issue.
“Something should be done
to stop it very fast because of
the negative effect on the
infrastructure and possible
disaster in the event of a
collapse”.
Also commenting on the
situation, past president of
NIStructE, Dr. Samuel
Ilugbekhai, said the state of
the bridges is one of gross
structural abuse, stressing
that they were not designed
to bear enormous weight
from static trailers and
tankers, and warned that
their life spans could be
shortened.
Urging government to put
more effort into solving the
problem, he noted the
difference between buildings
that house car parks and
bridges. While multi-storey
parks are designed for the
specific purpose, bridges are
intended to carry transitional
loads within seconds. “They
are not designed to retain
loads for one hour, two hours,
days or weeks,” Ilugbekhai
said.
Effort to reach Federal
Controller of Works in Lagos
state, Engr. Olukayode
Popoola, for his comment was
not fruitful as according to
him, he was in a meeting
with his boss, and will get
back.
Our investigation has
revealed that previous
attempts by the Federal
Government and Lagos State
authorities to curtail the
problem have proved
abortive. The office of the
Federal Controller of Works,
Lagos, has on several
occasions given ultimatums
to truck drivers or even
deployed force, to no avail.