The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has stated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has achieved more on infrastructure development for the country than any other administration in recent times.
Fashola , who made a presentation on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at a Town Hall Meeting organized in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed, spoke alongside the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. (Mrs.) Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and Minister of State for Power, Engr. Goody Agbah who also presented the score cards of their Ministries as part of the Federal Government’s achievements in Infrastructure development.
The Minister explained that the Progressive government of President Buhari was currently handling 1,019 roads and bridge projects nationwide, adding that it within 18 days towards the ends of last year, it commissioned 941 kilometers of roads connecting 10 states across five geo-political zones which are impacting positively on the lives of the people in many more ways.
The commissioned roads are: Kebbi-Sokoto-Kontagora-Jega – Yawuri Road in Sokoto and Kebbi States; Shuarin-Azare Road in Jigawa and Bauchi States; Azare – Potiskum Road in Bauchi and Yobe States; Vandeikya – Obudu Road in Benue and Cross River States and Nnewe – Oduma Road in Enugu and Ebonyi States.
He also stated that bridges such as the joint border bridge in Mfum, Cross River State which is a major international link to Cameroon ; Ikom bridge which was now a gateway to the northern part of the country through Katsina-Ala ìn Benue state had all been completed by the Federal government.
Accordingly, the Minister revealed that the Bonny-Bodo project construction which has four major bridges and eight minor ones were already in an advanced stage of completion. The project, according to him, is one of the major projects which had defied execution by past administrations but the Buhari administration has tackled and is making significant progress.
Other such difficult projects in which the administration has brought to near completion include, the Second Niger Bridge in Anambra and Delta States, the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria- Kano Road, the Apapa – Oworonsoki Road and the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway.
Fashola listed other infrastructure projects across the country to include: ongoing highway and bridges projects, tertiary institutions internal roads rehabilitation, construction of new Federal Secretariats in six states and rehabilitation of 24 Secretariats across the country and construction of housing estates under the National Housing Programme in 34 states.
The Minister commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making available resources to continue with infrastructural development throughout the federation.
According to him, if all infrastructural facilities are in place, they will ease the process of doing business and increase productivity, pointing out that farmers as well as other Nigerians engaging in various businesses could now move their products or render their services with more ease.
On the economic benefits of road construction to the people, Fashola said, a lot of jobs have been created for suppliers of sand and building materials, artisans, labourers, farmers and even food vendors who make their daily earnings from the construction sites.
For other Nigerians to appreciate what the present government has done on infrastructure, Fashola recalled the testimonies and experiences of some Nigerians as regards how the roads construction impacted positively on their lives. He quoted what Nigerians across the social strata said about the roads that were commissioned in their respective areas.
“President Buhari is legitimately distributing wealth through investment in road infrastructure and the 100 million Nigerians he said would be taken out of poverty in a decade would be achieved.” he said.
“What really distinguishes this Progressive government under President Muhammadu Buhari is the focus and change it brought in governance. Infrastructure is one area that we are not only different but better,” the Minister added.
Earlier, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed revealed that the federal government had planned to spend about N1.42 trillion on infrastructure and N2.11 trillion on human capital.
She stated that under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, RITCS, a total of 33 road projects have been embarked upon, covering a total length of 1, 564.95 in 2021.
