Infrastructural development without maintenance is tantamount to a waste of time 

By Ayo Akinfe 

(1) One thing we always complain about in Nigeria is the lack of infrastructure like roads, railway networks, power plants, water works, functioning hospitals, etc. It is very true that there is a scarcity of such facilities but alas, it is only half the story as maintenance is also a major issue 

(2) Unless we address the maintenance problem, in a few years we will be back to where we are. This is because building facilities and not maintaining them is just as bad as not having them in the first place. Maybe before we embark on this massive infrastructural expansion that is required, we should put maintenance rules in place 

(3) In this picture is the Enugu airport. When it rains the place is flooded and as we speak the airport’s runway is a pot hole-ridden death trap. It is only a matter of time before the tyres of a landing aircraft explodes on that runway, killing everyone on board 

(4) From what I gather, the federal government is planning to downgrade the Enugu airport into a domestic one from an international one but I fail to see how that addresses the problem. Domestic flights also have to use the runway so face the same risks. What I would have done is shut the airport for a few months and carry out repairs, then open it again as an expanded international airport 

(5) When I look at some of our greatest monuments in Lagos I am aghast. Our National Theatre and National Stadium are just two examples of our inability to maintain simple structures. Elsewhere, 19th century buildings are still standing strong 

(6) Nigeria’s first pedestrian viaduct was built opposite Falomo Shopping Centre. It went underneath the road and was designed to prevent accidents by allowing people to visit the complex without navigating the busy traffic. Within a few years, we had turned this facility into a refuse dump 

(7) At the moment, Akwa Ibom State and Abuja have the most modern facilities in Nigeria but will we maintain them? Can anyone give me a guarantee that in 20 years time, the Uyo Stadium and the Ibom Golf Resort will still be looking pristine?

(8) Personally, if you ask me, I believe the first step must be to end the practice of the federal government having any say in maintenance. Theirs should just be to build. State and local governments must be responsible for the maintenance of all facilities across Nigeria 

(9) Some of our best roads were master pieces when they opened but today some of them are death traps. Anyone who travelled on the Lagos-Badagry, Lagos-Ibadan or Shagamu-Benin motorways in their first five years of operation would have thought they were in Europe or North America. These roads became dilapidated and arguments ensued over who was responsible for maintaining them. If they were handed over to their states upon completion we may have avoided this 

(10) What Enugu airport needs today is to be handed over to the state government. I would like to believe that the state government would be more responsive as it is not as remote as the federal government

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