Don Advocates Sustainable Asphalt Roads To Boost Nigeria’s Economy

A Professor of Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin-Ekiti, Moses Ogundipe, has called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to prioritise sustainable asphalt road construction to improve infrastructure delivery, reduce costs and strengthen the economy.

Ogundipe made the appeal while delivering the university’s maiden inaugural lecture, titled “Paving the Way to Sustainability: Asphalt Innovations for Safe and Durable Road Pavement.”

The professor, who is also the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic, Research and Partnerships), stressed that sustainability should guide the design, construction and maintenance of road infrastructure.

He identified soil stability as a critical requirement for durable asphalt roads, explaining that unstable foundations could undermine pavement performance.

Ogundipe recommended the use of locally available materials, including groundnut husks, coconut shells, palm kernel shells, snail shells and bamboo leaf ashes, alongside hydraulic binders such as cement and lime, to stabilise road foundations.

He said incorporating these materials into road construction would improve pavement durability while reducing indiscriminate waste disposal and creating additional economic opportunities.

The academic also advocated modifying asphalt mixtures with sustainable materials to improve their resistance to temperature variations and heavy traffic loads.

He identified glass waste, polyethylene terephthalate, hospital waste, steel slag, crumb rubber, ceramic tiles and lime as materials that could improve road construction while reducing environmental pollution and creating jobs.

Ogundipe urged the Federal Government to prioritise the exploration and refining of Nigeria’s natural bitumen deposits, estimated at 42 billion barrels, to strengthen domestic asphalt production.

According to him, local production of bitumen, a major binding component of asphalt concrete, would provide a cheaper and more reliable supply, reduce construction costs and generate employment and revenue.

He further called for a review of existing road and bridge construction specifications to incorporate Stone Mastic Asphalt and other sustainable materials capable of delivering stronger pavements.

The professor also recommended integrating Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Assessment into public procurement and tender evaluation, saying contractors who adopt sustainable local materials and technologies should receive appropriate consideration.

He urged government agencies to base infrastructure policies on reliable research and comprehensive data, including regular assessments of road construction, pavement failures and maintenance requirements.

Ogundipe also proposed establishing a national pavement test track equipped with Heavy Vehicle Simulators to test innovative materials under different conditions.

He identified inadequate research funding and weak collaboration between universities and industry as obstacles to applying research findings, urging increased investment and stronger partnerships.

The university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gbenga Aribisala, commended the professor's research, describing it as a valuable contribution to knowledge and sustainable road development.