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Tag: Babatunde Fashola

  • Fashola blames past administration for electricity challenges

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has blamed the past administration for the electricity challenges witnessed in some parts of the country.

    The Minister said the past administration delayed the implementation of the Strategic Rural Electrification Plan (SREP) for ten years thereby making it difficult for some rural communities to enjoy power supply.

    Fashola however disclosed that the approval of the plan by the present administration has made it possible for the government to access $200m adding that the fund would enable it run a pilot power project in 70 communities across five States.

    The Minister disclosed this in Abuja during a courtesy visit by members of Gora community in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State led by the Sarkin Gora, Alhaji Jafaru Adamu.

    Members of the community were at the ministry to express gratitude following the provision of power to the community after several years in darkness.

    Fashola said: “This power supply demonstrates that while we are working to fix the grid, more communities are getting power off the grid. When we say that we are now generating 7000 power and we have distribution challenges, our work does not start and end on the grid because more communities are getting electricity off the grid and Gora community is an example of what we have done with off-grid power and the members of Gora community are here to testify that our mini-grid regulation and off-grid policy is also working.

    Read Also: Fashola gives reasons South West will re-elect Buhari

    “It is important to point out that when the Electric Sector Reform Act was passed in 2005, it stipulated very clearly that the Rural Electrification Strategy Implementation Plan must be developed and approved by the President within one year but that was not done until President Buhari was elected.

    “So, the last administration delayed the implementation of the Strategic Rural Electrification Plan by ten years. So it was not done until 2016 and as soon as we presented it to President Buhari, he had no difficulty at all in approving it and it is that plan that is impacting communities today and Gora is one of the dozens of communities that have been impacted.

    “That plan has enabled us access $200 million and we are going to run a pilot project of 70 communities in five states while we continue to gather more data of communities like Gora which does not have access to power.  So it is the story of access that we really want to tell.”

    He continued: “You here are the faces of access to electricity under this administration and there are other communities like that. We will continue to tell stories because not everyone can go round the way we go round and if they don’t see us on television, some people who tell lies will reinforce those lies.

    “So, this project has connected communities and it has connected them to electricity.  Let them continue to reinvent their division but we are seeing practical examples of unity. Communities can also tell the truth from the lies that was taken to them when they didn’t have information.

    “They who have kept them in darkness didn’t want them to be connected so that they can spread rumours and falsehood but President Buhari is connecting communities through electricity, roads, rail, bridges and airports.”

    The Minister also said that rural communities were critical to the President Buhari led administration.

    “Rural communities and farming communities are the most pillars of the diversification of the Nigerian economy.  They are the treasure store of nutrition, food, building materials and so our attention is focused on rural communities under the directive of the President.  He believes that what is good for the people in the cities must be good for the people in the rural communities and that is our mandate.”

  • 2019 budget: Special FEC session to hold Friday 

    Another Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting was on Wednesday fixed for Friday to deliberate on the 2019 Budget proposal.

    This was disclosed by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina at the end of FEC meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Read Also:NASS joint committee meets again over INEC 2019 budget

    He was with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung.

    According to him, the meeting was necessary to quickly look at the proposal before forwarding it to the National Assembly for consideration.

     

    Details Later…

     

  • Fashola wants effective monitoring of projects by Works Controllers

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called on Federal Controllers of Works in the country to be proactive and committed to effective monitoring of projects.

    Fashola made the call on Monday in Kaduna at the opening of a capacity-building workshop organised by the ministry for the 37 Federal Controllers of Works in the country.

    The theme of the workshop is “Learning and Development for Greater Stature”.

    The minister said that the controllers were being trained to change the way public officers responded to their assignments “and begin to see roads as their projects’’.

    “We are pushing an agenda with the civil service, starting with the controllers that getting to the next level is a matter of what you do and how it affects human life.

    “So, we expect that at the end of the workshop, we will see project components and for them as controllers, their projects will be the roads.

    “We are going to access them by `motorability’ of roads in their various states,” he said.

    Read Also: Fashola gives reasons South West will re-elect Buhari

    He said that the controllers would be trained on leadership and emotional intelligence, adding that electronic gadgets would be given to them.

    The minister said that the idea was to create a platform for them to interact with each other and give feedback to the ministry for effective decisions.

    He said that the ministry had got a budget for the controllers and that it was the first of its kind in many years.

    “We plan to give each controller N50 million to start and the case for improved budgetary provision will be made on the basis of what happen with what we have done.

    “Before we do that, we have asked them to submit work plans on the roads in their territory that have problems and they have all complied.

    “We have gone through them and that is why we are able to move to this level,” he added.

    The Federal Controller of Works, Kaduna State, Mr Finbarr Zirra, commended the ministry for the initiative.

    He said that the controllers would be better equipped to discharge their duties at the end of the training.

    He said that the knowledge to be acquired would help the participants to achieve their goals, get value for money as well as accomplish government programmes.

     

    NAN

  • FG targets 30% in renewable energy mix by 2030 — Fashola

    In a bid to diversify its energy sources and optimise other assets for power production, Nigeria is targeting 30 per cent of its energy needs from renewable by 2030

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, made the assertion in a keynote address at the 2018 pre-conference workshop of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) in Lagos on Monday.

    Fashola said that the current component of grid power consists mainly of gas-fired power (85%) and hydropower (15%), there was the need to produce an energy mix that targets a 30 per cent component of renewable energy out of the gross energy produced by 2030.

    “Let me be clear and unequivocal by saying upfront that our commitment as a nation and government to pursue renewable and low carbon energy at low cost is clear, firm and unshaking.

    “But this is not all. It is a commitment driven by necessity, contract and policy,” he said.

    The minister said that government had also matched its intent with actions such as signing 14 solar power purchase agreement (PPAs) with 14 developers with the potential to deliver over 1,000 MW of solar power.

    “In addition to the necessity to diversify our energy sources from gas and provide some energy security, we are also driven to pursue renewable energy by contract,” he said.

    He said that Africa must intensify efforts at improving transmission grid for renewable energy to be effectively developed on the continent.

    Fashola said that Nigeria as a committed member of the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS, has adopted several international treaties and policies which promote the use of renewable energy.

    This, he said, was in line with the national vision to provide incremental power, and then steady and uninterrupted power.

    The minister said that the Federal Government recently approved an integrated energy mix targets under Electricity Vision 30:30:30 which targets generation of 30 GW in 2030, with 30 per cent from renewable energy sources.

    “Africa has trillions of standard cubic feet of natural gas reserves, billions of barrels of crude oil reserves and billions of tonnes of coal,” he said

    Read Also: Nine varsities to get solar plant, says Fashola

    The minister said that government had completed arrangements to concession six hydro dams to private operators under build, operate and transfer (BOT) scheme.

    He said the step was aimed at energising educational institutions and markets in the country.

    Fashola said: “These are government-led initiatives based on the rural electrification plan approved by the president in 2016 to provide access to power for rural dwellers and vulnerable members of our society.

    “We proposed to use six small hydro-dams that had been abandoned for decades, Federal Government owned universities and some markets as anchors.

    “Apart from the universities, where government is directly funding the intervention, the markets are being privately funded.

    “There are currently 15 markets under contemplation with Ariaria, Sabon Gari and Sura markets in Aba, Kano and Lagos respectively as flagships.”

    Fashola said that government was planning to concession six hydro dams to private operators to build, operate, and transfer.

    “Our thinking is simple. While the whole value chain and power privatization gradually evolves, it is possible to create oases of success by showing to our children that they can have reliable power while in school.

    “If that is a reason to get children to school and keep them there, certainly, no good business can oppose this.

    “Indeed, it seems to me sensible to expect that the future of today’s business and even government rests solely on the quality of education that the current generations of students get.

    “As for the markets, the 37,000 shops in Ariaria, about 13,000 in Sabon Gari, and about 1,000 in Sura represent SMEs, where the majority of our people earn a living,’’ he said.

    Dr Andrew Ejayeriese, the President of NAPE, said that Nigeria was the largest economy in Africa and the 22nd globally, adding that it was projected that the economy could rise through the world ranking to top 10 in 2050 with a projected GDP of 46.4 trillion dollars.

    Ejayeriese said that to achieve that, however, diversification of the economy from over-dependence on crude oil was required.

    According to him, though fossil fuels currently dominate the power sector, their share of the energy generation market is expected to decline to 57 per cent by 2035.

    “With the rapid growth of renewable energy which accounts for 4 per cent of energy demand today (excluding large-0scale hydroelectricity).

    “By 2030, that could grow to about 14 per cent which is an exceptional rate of growth for the energy industry,” he said.

    He said that the pre-conference workshop was a forum where energy professionals, associates researchers, producers, suppliers, policy markers, financial experts, investors, consumers and others stakeholders discussed the contemporary challenges and available opportunities related to the increasing national and international demand for energy.

    The three-day NAPE international conference and exhibition which began on Tuesday witnessed about 1,500 participants.

    NAN

  • DISCOs: MURIC calls for revocation of contracts

    The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), on Monday, called on the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola to revoke contracts of non performing power supply stakeholders.

    MURIC made the call in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    The group accused the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) of sabotaging efforts of the Federal Government to boost electricity supply to Nigerians because it worked at cross roads with the interest of government.

    Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Director, MURIC making reference to a recent protest by electricity consumers in Lagos, said that protests were being staged in various geopolitical zones of the nation because customers were not satisfied.

    Akintola recounted the ordeal of electricity consumers on the Iba axis in Lagos where power supply was for about six hours daily.

    He accused the EKDEC, some DISCOs and greedy politicians of frustrating the impact of the good work which President Muhammadu Buhari administration had been doing.

    The director appealed to the Minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola, to come to their aid.

    “We are really suffering. It is high time the Federal Government called the bluff of the DISCOs.

    “If it is true that the contract of the DISCOs will be expiring this month (November, 2018), we strongly advise that the contracts should be revoked. These DISCOs are not on the same page with the current administration.

    “They are cogs in the wheel of progress. Let them go back to their avariciously gluttonous politicians and superfluously voracious capitalist bourgeoisie.

    “For the sake of microscopic clarity, we affirm that the concern of MURIC is the welfare of the masses. We are greatly concerned that the DISCOs are supplying darkness instead of light.

    “We are concerned as socio-intellectual jihadists seeking 24-hour electricity supply to Nigerians, freedom for the oppressed, food for the hungry, healing for the sick, clothing apparels for the naked and shelter for the homeless.

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    “We remain oppressed until these welfare objectives are attained. The struggle for better life for the poor masses is a noble jihad and we will not abandon this great path,’’ he said.

    Akintola said the residents of Iba were suffering, adding that activities of the huge academia population on the axis were also distorted by lack of adequate power supply.

    “The case of Lagos State University (LASU) is pathetic. Although the university’s visionary, purposeful and dynamic leadership has taken the university to world class status with several initiatives; lack of regular power supply constitutes a potent threat to the sustenance of LASU’s current enviable status.

    “In an effort to ensure regular power supply in Ojo campus, the University management spends a humongous amount every month on diesel and maintenance of the big generators which are installed all over the campus. This eats deep into the coffers of the university.

    “Apart from students who are in the hostel and who must use electricity at night, LASU students also read on campus during the night and this poses another big challenge.

    “It is the height of sadism to give consumers light in the daytime only,’’ he said.

    He called on the EKDEC to turn a new leaf, describing the performance of the DISCOs as disappointing, adding that they worked at variance with the passion of Fashola.

    “MURIC will not hesitate to spearhead a massive but peaceful demonstration against them if they do not perform.

    “We urge the federal government to put an end to the DISCO’s contracts as quickly as possible because they have failed Nigerians,” he said.

    He said that MURIC delegation met with EKDEC management in Iba area about eight months ago to lodge complaints of having power supply for an average of six hours daily at night but the trend had continued.

    He explained that dissatisfied residents dragged EKDEC to court over a year ago.

    According to him, EKDEC treats consumers in high brow areas like Ikoyi with special respect but treats those in Iba area with contempt. That is class segregation.

  • APC built Train stations in villages of PDP chieftains – Amaechi

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, on Sunday said that in the course of executing the Warri-Itakpe Rail line, stations were built in the villages of Peoples’ Democratic Party(PDP)’s chieftains.

    Amaechi disclosed this at the `Next Level Presentation’ at Presidential Villa Banquet Hall to signal the commencement of the campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 general elections.

    The minister who made a presentation titled `What We are Building ’  said that President Muhammadu Buhari, upon assumption of office, directed that old and abandoned projects be completed.

    “The truth is that the country is compelled to make a choice between good and bad. When I was appointed the Minister for Transportation, the president warned–do not start new contracts, go and complete old ones.

    “We met Itakpe –Warri Rail line which had been in existence for 34  years uncompleted; it would have been the first Standard Guage line in Africa if it was completed.

    “Based on the president’s instruction, I did a memo; I thought we will borrow money from China; but the president refused. He said we should use our internal funds to execute the project.

    “People saw me on social media on Train service from Warri to Itakpe. I got to Warri 8pm because I was going from one station to the other—almost all the villages and most  prominent members of PDP made sure that train stations were in their villages.

    “So, I am compelled to do those stations in villages of members of PDP; it is okay; it is the instruction of the president that you must go and finish the old work.’’

    He said that the tradition in the past was that once one was elected, one left the old things for the old people and awarded new contracts.

    According to Amaechi, the ministry will start commercial service from Itakpe to Warri.

    On PDP’s argument that it started the projects, Amaechi said that Buhari made it clear on commissioning the Abuja –Kaduna rail project that the project was started by the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “We completed it but two things are remarkable—we borrowed 500 million dollars to start that project at the time oil was selling at 114 dollars per barrel.

    “ We should not have borrowed; you mean this country could not have afforded 500 million dollars?

    “I will show that we can; when I wrote a memo to the president and to the cabinet requesting that he should allow me borrow 500 million dollars from China to buy locomotives and coaches for Lagos-Ibadan, the cabinet under the directive of the president refused.

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    “He(the president) said 500 million dollars; we can get from here and we are funding it from here; so we did and completed Kaduna to Abuja quickly.

    “We spend N56million per month and we get N16 million; so we are augmenting for both rich and poor—N40 million per month under the directive of the president because he fears that the poor might not be able to afford it. So, everybody is using it.’’

    According to him, Lagos to Ibadan railway is almost complete—a distance of 156kms.

    The minister said that application had also been made to construct Kano to Kaduna railway as approval for funds is being awaited.

    “We are about to award the central line from Abuja to Niger to Baru from Baru to Itakpe to Warri; the president had approved a new seaport in Warri. We are negotiating with a Chinese company which will build it.

    “Do not forget that N2.7 billion dollars is N1 trillion. So, we are looking for money to commence already awarded work on the coastal rail.

    “The coastal rail starts from Lagos, from Lagos; it passes through Ogun State, Ondo, Benin, Asaba, and Onitsha. From Benin again, it passes through Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, to Bayelsa, in fact, it goes to Utuoke. From Otuoke, it goes to Port Harcourt.

    “ Then from Port Harcourt, it goes to Aba, Uyo, and ends up in Cross River State.

    “We are almost ready to award Port Harcourt to Maidugiri. The difference between us and the last award is that the last award was 1500km but under the directive of Mr President, it was extended to 2000 km.

    “ The last award was Port Harcourt straight to Maidugiri but in order to satisfy everybody at the directive of the President, we must get to every state capital,’’ he said.

    On his part, Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, said that it would require a long journey into Nigeria’s history to recall when last it had massive investment in infrastructure.

    “It is no coincidence that we look to the 1970s and the 1980s when we built new airports, new seaports, new refineries, new highways and bridges.

    “The closest you will have to that era is the 1990s when petrol-money was also being applied to upgrade infrastructure under the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF)incidentally chaired by Buhari.

    “We lost an enormous opportunity when recently oil money rose to $114 dollar per barrel and stayed there for almost a decade and we have no new airport, refinery, bridges, petrochemical plants,   no new seaports to show accountability to how all the money went,’’ he said.

    The event also witnessed the unveiling of Buhari-Osinbajo 2019—A Basic Guide-The Campaign Manual in Brief.

    NAN

  • Fed Govt gives conditions for electricity tariff hike

    The Minister of Power,Works and Housing,Babatunde Fashola and the Chairman, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Prof. James Momoh, yesterday gave conditions that must be met before there can be any electricity tariff hike.

    Fashola who gave the score card of his three years in office in Abuja, said the consumers of electricity must experience efficiency in supply before there can be any hike.

    The minister said “there are dynamics for tariff. Tariff review does not mean that it must necessary go up. It could come to a time when it will come down.” He said there was already a deluge of complaints about cut-throat estimated billing.

    The minister said in his three years in office, power generation has increased from 4000megawatts (Mw) to 7,000Mw.

    He said transmission has increased from 5,000Mw to 8,000Mw, while generation has improved from 3,609Mw to 5,222Mw and distribution has improved from 2,690Mw to a peak of 5,222Mw early this year.

    Fashola said before there can be any increase in tariff, it would only be fair to put machines in place to be able to measure units of consumption, saying if the tariff is high and the consumers have the meters for measuring their consumption, they could switch off their appliances.

    “We are saying from the ministry that it is fair to allow more meter coverage before we talk of unit cost,” he averred.

    With regard to power, Fashola asserted that generation, which was at 4,000 MW in when he took over in the Ministry in 2015 has increased to 7,000 MW and transmission from 5,000 MW in 2015 to 7,000 MW while distribution has increased from 2,690 MW to 5,222 MW adding that although the work was clearly not finished, the Ministry was still in the process of delivering additional power to the grid.

    According to him, the additional 215MW would come from the Kaduna Power Plant while 240MW would come from Afam IV, 40 MW from Kashimbila, 30 MW from Gurara, 29 MW from Dadin Kowa and a total of 3,750 MW from two big Hydro power plants in Zungeru (700MW) and Mambilla (3,050MW) while power is also programmed for nine universities and 15 markets across the country.

    He said while distribution is being boosted through over 100 injection sub-stations, a distribution expansion programme to be funded by the Federal Government was now in an advanced state of procurement, adding that although there are still people yet to be reached and challenges due to disruptions from time to time and people who also needed meters, “it is indisputable that we have delivered on incremental power”.

    “The evidence of our progress is not only captured in the last quarter of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Report for Q2 of 2018 which shows a growth of 7.5 per cent in the electricity sector”, the Minister said adding that previous quarterly reports from 2017 had consistently recorded growth, which, he noted “is a clear departure from 2014-2015 and proof of change”.

    He said  there has to be an enumeration of the number of customers in the market  since “you cannot increase electricity without knowing the number of customers.”

    Momoh added that there must be a determination  and minimisation of commercial and technical losses in the system prior to any tariff increase. This, according to him, will control the charge of customers for lost power.

    “We cannot leave the present tariff force until we determine that we are metered properly,” he said.

    The NERC chairman had earlier said metering will eliminate estimated billing, adding that “there will be a cap for a maximum payment for estimated billing.”

    Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Power, Dr. Louis Edozein, said although there is need for tariff increase, it cannot be effected without increase in power.

    He said the injection substations are not yet adequate, adding that upon the realisation of the challenges that the  electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) were recording which led to their low demand for power, there was a lot of investment that the power firms would have made that they were yet to make.

    He however said there is already a distribution expansion programme that the government is carrying out to enable the companies absorb more energy and distribute to consumers.

     

  • We have delivered visible achievements – Fashola

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, says his ministry has delivered visible and qualitative achievements to Nigerians since his appointment in November, 2015.

    Fashola said this on Monday in Abuja at a media briefing to give the third year progress report of the ministry under his watch.

    He said the ministry had in a statement titled “Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change” in December 2015 set out what it inherited, plan to do and what Nigerians should expect from it.

    According to him, as at May 2015, many contractors have stopped work because of payment and many fathers and wives employed by them have been laid off.

    He said the possibility to return those who had lost their jobs back to work was the kind of change the ministry promised Nigerians.

    Fashola said that the progress report on public sector works relating to roads and bridges had confirmed that the ministry had fulfilled its promise.

    He said that the ministry had recovered the thousands of jobs that were lost as a result of an expansive infrastructure spending on works from N18.132 billion in 2015 to N394 billion in 2018.

    “The outcome is that there is not one state in Nigeria today where the Federal Government is not executing at least one road project with construction workers engaged on the sites.

    “Difficult or abandoned projects like the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos Ibadan Expressway and the Bodo-Bonny Bridge have been brought back to life.

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    “Sections of Ilorin-Jebba, Sokoto to Jeba, Sokoto-Ilela have been completed, while progress of work continues nationwide.

    “Apart from recovered construction jobs and growth in construction sector of the economy, the feedback from road users is that the journey times are reducing on the completed roads,” he said.

    According to him, we acknowledge that the work is not finished, but as long as we remain able to finance the projects, I have no doubt that it will get better.

    He said that the ministry had extended its intervention on roads to universities to ensure that unattended internal roads were given attention.

    The minister said that 14 Federal Universities would benefit from the first phase of the intervention under the 2017 budget adding that more would be accommodated in the 2018 budget.

    NAN

  • Buhari revives abandoned projects

    Minister for Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola has said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has brought back hope to Nigerians by reviving abandoned projects.

    According to the minister, a number of projects were left uncompleted before the inception of the current administration in 2015.

    “Buhari’s government has revived the contracts that were stopped,” he said in Sokoto while speaking to reporters during a two-day retreat organised for top officials of the three Ministries under his watch.

    “If a contractor does not get paid, there is no magic to get the work completed. He will have no alternative than to stop.”

    The Minister also said the current government has no alternative but to resort to the best option of borrowing to complete such projects of economic importance to the wellbeing and development of the country.

    Fashola said Nigerians should not blame the government on the slow pace of work rather should direct their dissatisfaction to their representatives who were elected to serve them.

    “They are guilty of the slow pace of work. They shut the National Assembly and delayed the passage of budget for close to nine months.

    “You don’t expect the work that would have been done in decades to be completed within three and a half years,” he pointed out.

    He added, saying, “We have to borrow through the Ministry of Finance and invest it on roads to enhance productivity, reduce journey cost and time for business in order to generate income and wealth creation to pay back the loans.

    He noted that a growing economy was a rewarding economy, pointing out that “Those who complain we borrow too much should tell us where else to find funds. We are not raising tax and if we do, they will still complain.”

    The minister further defended the government on allegations that certain sections of the country were suffering deficit of federal government projects especially in the Northwest, saying, “No part of the country is not considered in the provision of infrastructure. We have considered and work on the Jega-Sokoto, Sokoto-Illela, UDUS roads as well Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Jigawa roads respectively in the Northwest.”

    He noted that road accident and other risks would have been a thing of the past when such projects were completed.

    Fashola said, “The FRSC must also ensure the enforcement of traffic regulations especially speed monitoring and reckless driving by motorists particularly commercial vehicles.

    “Records have shown that a number of accidents, injuries and fatality are fast reducing monthly due to gradual change in our driving behaviours and our commitment to addressing the conditions of the roads.”

  • No development without investment in infrastructure , says Minister

    Massive investment in infrastructure is crucial to economic growth and development, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said.

    Mohammed noted that it was this realization that made the current administration to give priority to investment in critical infrastructure in the last three and half years.

    The minister spoke on Thursday in Ibadan at the 14th edition of the Special Town Hall meeting. The meeting which is also the second on infrastructure had as members of panel, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport, Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Housing, Power and Works and also Suleiman Adamu, Minister of Water Resources.

    The minister noted in his opening remark that investment in infrastructure is a fast route to development.

    He said, “This Administration, realizing that no nation develops without massive investment in infrastructure, has made such investment a priority, and it is paying off, as you will hear shortly from the Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing.

    “Whether in the area of job creation or stimulation of economic growth, investment in infrastructure is a fast route to development.

    You cannot talk about the developed Western nations without talking about their roads, power, ports and rail system, just to mention a few. This is because these nations have invested massively in infrastructure over the years, realizing that infrastructure spurs economic growth by enhancing productivity and efficiency. The same template has also been adopted by many other countries, including China, Japan and South Korea. We are in no doubt that the solid foundation that we are laying in the area of infrastructure will be a catalyst to the much-needed economic development in our dear country.”

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    He therefore noted that the special town hall meeting which will go on till 2019 is to showcase the achievements of the Buhari administration.

    The essence, the minister said “is to provide a platform for the federal government to regularly give account of its stewardship to the people, get a feedback and inputs from them and, overall, to enhance citizens’ participation in governance.”

    This further explains why the meetings have gone round the six get-political zones of the country.

    At the end of the meeting, stakeholders commended the federal government for the massive infrastructural development in the South West, while also urging them to do more especially in the area of power, road and security across the country.