The Minister of Public Works, Dave Umahi, has stated that fixing Nigeria's deteriorating roads can be frustrating due to lack of adequate funding.
Senator Umahi made this statement on Friday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, speaking to journalists shortly after a session with the Senate Committee on Works.
The Minister of Works, who stated that N18 trillion would be needed to repair federal roads, mentioned that the allocation for his ministry in the 2025 Appropriation Bill would not be enough.
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He said: “I have not failed in many of my life's commitments, but I am frustrated to fix roads in Nigeria with funds that are not at all tangible for what is required. “That is why special funds, in the form of loans, are needed to address road infrastructure in the country.”
“Remember, the President inherited 2,064 projects, totaling N13 trillion in 2023. If you review those projects according to current market realities, it should be close to N18 trillion.”
“So when the president, who is an economist and has experienced every aspect of what we are going through, goes out of his way to borrow money for these projects, the public questions his actions.”
“That is what I have been saying to the National Assembly and now we are on the same page. “We have to borrow money to fix the roads.”
“Roads, when repaired, are a catalyst for economic growth. They also eliminate hunger because road infrastructure activities create a lot of economic activity.”
“Those who sell sand, stones and other materials will benefit. There will be a lot of activity. Therefore, we must pay attention to this issue and encourage the president to borrow money.”
“He (President Bola Tinubu) cannot make money. “We have to encourage him.”
“You say he's trying to steal your money, that's very discouraging. Road infrastructure cannot be fixed with the annual budget alone. “It should receive substantial attention.”
Earlier in his remarks, Senate Works Committee Chairman Mpigi Barinada agreed with the Works Minister's observation that the country's road infrastructure requires significant funding to be effectively addressed.
He said: “We can see that these projects are very big and we need to explore other ways of getting funding to ensure these projects can be delivered to the people.”
“Sometimes when people see the National Assembly asking for projects in their communities, it is not because the National Assembly wants to put a project in their house.”