Fourth Meeting of the Joint Technical Committee On Cameroun-Nigeria Programme Ends in Lagos

27 March 2011
press release

Lagos - Nigeria — The 4th meeting of the Joint Technical Committee for the Nigeria-Cameroon multinational Highway and Transport Facilitation Programme took place in Lagos to review and finalise the bidding documents for the implementation of project, particularly the procurement of works and services for the border bridge over the cross river.

The Memorandum of Understanding for the facilitation programme was signed by the two countries on 29th March 2009 at a ceremony in Tunis, headquarters of the African Development Bank. The programme includes the construction of a joint border post, the rehabilitation and construction of the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu road corridor linking both countries, including related facilitation infrastructure and the construction of a 276- metre long border bridge over the Cross River to be funded equally by both countries and whose contract is scheduled to be awarded in January 2012. Cameroun, Nigeria, ECOWAS and its equivalents for Central Africa, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and CEMAC, are represented in the Committee while representatives of the African Development Bank (AfDB) attend as observers. During the opening, Engr.

Lawal Audi, who led the Nigerian delegation and chaired the meeting hailed the programme as 'historic' as it would not only boost trade and strengthen cooperation between Cameroun and Nigeria but also between West and Central Africa, the first such project in Africa. He said the projects would not only boost the logistic chain of transport between both countries but consistent with the objectives of NEPAD within the context of regional integration and cooperation that would modernize the customs systems and improved infrastructure with increased cross-border efficiency. The meeting agreed that the Quality and Cost Based Selection Procurement Method (QCBS) be adopted for the recruitment of the consultant who will supervise the construction of the bridge in line with the Project Appraisal Document (PAD).

Nigeria was tasked with the preparation of the Expression of Interest (EOI) and the Terms of References (TOR) with cost estimates as well as a plan of action for the supervision and construction of the border bridge. The JTC agreed that subsequent meetings be held close to the Project Corridor so that visits could be arranged to the working sites.

In this context, it was agreed that the next meeting of the JTC will be held in Bamanda in Cameroon from 19th to 26th June 2011 which will be preceded by a site visit. The meeting ended with a site of a pre-stressed concrete box girder bridge under construction by the Lagos State government. The visit was to familiarize the JTC with the design and build approach, which was selected as the best approach for the rehabilitation the border bridge over Cross River at Mfum.

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