The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN on Friday assured that the Federal Government will address infrastructural deficit across the country in order to boost the ailing economy.
He declared that one of the key thrusts of the Muhammadu Buhari administration is infrastructural development, adding that the government was committed towards alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians.
Fashola spoke at the inauguration of a 24km Itori-Ibese concrete road constructed by Dangote’s company in Ogun State, where he revealed that the Federal Government would consider using cement concrete to re-construct bad roads across the country, adding that that was why the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved and awarded the construction of 42.5km Obajana-Kabba road to the company.
“This road project, when completed, will be the longest concrete road in Nigeria. The Federal Government also granted DIL 30 percent tax concession to help recover part of the cost of the project,” he said.
The Minister, while reiterating the present administration’s determination to complete all the projects commenced by the Goodluck Jonathan government, stressed that 30 per cent was budgeted for infrastructural development in the 2016 budget.
According to him, “One of the key policy thrusts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is infrastructural development. My ministry will soon commence an aggressive road construction and maintenance programme across the length and breadth of the nation.
“We will ensure that all economically viable projects under the ministry, commenced by the previous administration, are fully implemented, while new ones will be completed during the tenure of this administration.
“I want to use this medium to assure Nigerians that the present challenges being experienced, especially in the power and road sectors of the economy, will soon be a thing of the past. We are working round the clock to deliver lasting solutions to the challenges in these sectors.
“The government will continue to encourage indigenous companies such as AG-Dangote to compete with the traditional international construction companies to build quality roads at affordable cost in order to consolidate and extend our national road networks.
“This will enable us to actualise some of this administration’s cardinal objectives, which include job creation and economic empowerment of Nigerians.”
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