Federal Ministry of Works

Feb

2026

LATEST PRESS

FG COMMISSIONS REHABILITATED SECTIONS OF GWADA-SHIRORO ROAD, RESTORES CONNECTIVITY AND SAFETY IN NIGER STATE AND BEYOND

The Federal Ministry of Works has officially commissioned the completed critically failed sections of the Gwada–Shiroro Road Section 1 in Niger State, alongside Emergency Repairs of Embankment Washouts and the Construction of a 2-Cell Box Culvert on the same alignment. The projects are part of the 260 Emergency/Special Intervention Projects carried out, nationwide, by the Renewed Hope Administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in order to salvage the nation’s road network. It signals a significant milestone in restoring connectivity, safety, and economic activities in the affected areas.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, which forms an integral component of a National Media Tour, the Federal Controller of Works (FCW) in Niger State, Engineer Eyitayo Aluko, welcomed members of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), community leaders, residents, members of the press, and other stakeholders. He informed the gathering that he represents the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. (Engr.) David Umahi CON, FNSE, FNATE in the State, describing the intervention as “two projects in one.”
Engineer Aluko explained that the ceremony site was previously a critical failure point on the road, where a one-cell pipe culvert had collapsed due to its flawed design and overburdenedness. The collapse of the culvert severely disrupted the movement of people, goods, and services, moving in and out of Gwada town into a major challenge for commuters and residents.

“Before our intervention, movement through Gwada was a nightmare. The pipe cover here was inadequate and eventually collapsed. We had to intervene urgently,” said the Controller. According to him, the Ministry improved the infrastructure by replacing the collapsed one-cell pipe culvert with a two-cell box culvert measuring 2.0m x 2.0m, significantly enhancing water flow capacity and structural stability, and durability. He noted that the project has since been completed and traffic has fully resumed.
In addition to the construction of the culvert, the FCW disclosed that several failed sections of the Gwada–Shiroro Road were rehabilitated to improve travel time, road safety and reduce wear and tear of vehicles. The scope of work included embankment washout remediation, construction of the box culvert, laying of stone base, granular course, and asphalt surfacing.
The projects were awarded to Messrs Wise Spin Limited and Messrs High Dee Construction Limited, and have been substantially completed and put to use.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Representative of COREN, Engineer Dr. Bala Saliu, who is also the Chairman of the Engineering Regulation Committee of COREN, Niger State Chapter, commended the intervention, describing it as professional, timely, and impactful.

“This intervention speaks for itself. The project has been put to use, and you can see the community's happiness. Despite how remote this area is, its economic and social importance cannot be overemphasised,” he further noted.

He added that similar critical areas exist across Niger State and expressed confidence that the Federal Government would continue to intervene to ease the challenges faced by commuters and residents.

The Secretary General, NSE, Minna Branch, Engineer Abubakar Kawu also praised the delivery of the two projects. He described the Gwada–Shiroro Road as a strategic route that required urgent attention.
“This timely intervention has significantly reduced road accidents and increased socioeconomic activities. This road leads to the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station, a major contributor to power generation in Nigeria,” he recalled. He further stated that the road rehabilitation would positively impact the power and energy sectors, while affirming that the project meets required engineering standards and professional regulations.

The Mai Anguwa (Ward Head) of the immediate benefiting community, Alhaji Alhassan Zarumi, expressed deep appreciation to the Federal Government for extending the nationwide road intervention initiative to his people. He described the road as a former “death trap” and emphasised its importance as a link to the Shiroro Power Station and other surrounding towns and villages.

“If this place were not repaired, I wonder if we would be passing here today. Now, we can move freely and safely. We thank the Federal Government, the Engineers, and the contractors for a job well done,” he said.

In his remarks before performing the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Chapter, Comrade Uriah Tsado Gana, thanked President Tinubu and the Minister of Works for ensuring the successful completion of the project.

The Team visited ongoing works on the Bida–Lemu–Wushishi–Zungeru Road, Phase 1, which commences from Yesso Junction in Bida Town to Yazhigi. Giving an update on the progress of work, the FCW revealed that the road shoulders are being constructed with 200mm thick concrete, and that approximately 16 kilometers of asphaltic binder course have been completed out of the 29.5-kilometer project length - representing about 40 percent completion. He added that the contractor is actively on site and is expected to complete the binder course within the next two months, after which the asphaltic wearing course will be applied.

The Project Manager of Gerawa Global Engineering Limited, Engineer Adam S. Adam, corroborated the update and highlighted initial challenges faced during project execution, including security concerns and attempted kidnappings. He disclosed that with the support of the Ministry, community leaders, and security stakeholders, these issues have been fully resolved and work is ongoing. “We are now working day and night. The problems have been resolved completely, and the quality of work speaks for itself,” he stated.

Also present was the NSE official, Engineer Aliyu, who attested to the project’s compliance with engineering standards and professional ethics, giving kudos to the company handling the work.

The Ministry continues to demonstrate its commitment to enhancing national road infrastructure with the execution of major highway projects across Niger State, aimed at improving connectivity between the Northern and Southern parts of the country, guaranteeing safety, and enabling socio-economic development. Another strategic project underway in the State is the Jebba–Mokwa–Bokani Junction Road (Section II), which forms part of the Trans-Sahara Road Network, linking Lagos in the South West geopolitical zone to Northern Nigeria through Kwara State.

The route is a vital artery that carries heavy volumes of articulated traffic on a daily basis. And the project is redesigned as a Dual Carriageway with a pavement structure consisting of 7.3-metre-wide asphaltic concrete carriageways on each side, complemented by 3.0m and 2.75m wide surface-dressed shoulders. The pavement layers include a 200mm thick sub-base, 275mm stone base, and two asphaltic concrete layers of 75mm binder course and 50mm wearing course.

The road section commences at the northern end of the River Niger Bridge in Jebba and terminates at the Bokani Junction, with a total length of 46.0 kilometres. It involves the construction of an additional carriageway that intersects the existing one at various alignments, traversing farmlands, settlements, and diverse terrains, including hills, valleys, streams, and ridges. Interchanges will also be constructed at major intersections to facilitate free-traffic flow. The project is being executed by Messrs CGC (Nigeria) Limited.

In addition, the Federal Government is presently rehabilitating the Minna–Zungeru–Tegina Road (Section I), also a major transportation link connecting Northern and Southern Nigeria and a vital route for the movement of industrial and agricultural goods. The road has suffered severe deterioration over the years, characterized by deep potholes, failed carriageway sections, frequent accidents, and prolonged travel time.

Section I of the project stretches 94.987 kilometres from Minna to Tegina, comprising a 10.90km dualised urban section within Minna town and an 84.087-kilometre single carriageway through inter-urban and non-urban areas. The scope of work includes the rehabilitation of the single-carriageway sections and overlay of the existing dual carriageway, which remains in fair condition. The road traverses about eighteen communities, including Maikonlele, Kuyi, Gusase, Zungeru, Akusu, Garum Gabas, and Gatako, terminating at Tegina.

The existing infrastructure includes several pipe and box culverts, as well as seven bridges, many of which are slated for repair and maintenance due to siltation and structural degradation. The project is being handled by Messrs Develevo (Nigeria) Limited in partnership with Messrs HMF Construction Limited.

Similarly, Section II of the Minna–Zungeru–Tegina Road, covering the Tegina–Kontagora axis, is also receiving intervention. This section is a single carriageway extending from Tegina to Kontagora, with its zero chainage at a Y-Junction off the Mokwa–Makera–Kaduna State border road and terminating at the Kontagora roundabout. The road passes through several semi-rural communities, including Gimi, Babban Gona, Mariga, Bobi, Beri, Tungan Ahmadu, Tadali, and Machanga.

The existing carriageway, though originally constructed to standard specifications, has suffered erosion of shoulders and deterioration of pavement in several sections. The project includes the replacement of substandard culverts, desilting of existing drainage structures, and maintenance works on six bridges along the corridor to ensure structural integrity and improved hydraulic performance. The contractor handling this section is Glamor Engineering Nigeria Limited.

Upon completion, these projects are expected to significantly reduce road accidents, shorten travel time, improve the movement of goods, both industrial and agricultural, and strengthen economic activities across Niger State and its neighbours. The Administration remains committed to delivering quality road infrastructure that enablers of national growth and improves the quality of life of Nigerians. Road users, members of the benefiting communities along the corridors visited, and different stakeholders were full of praises to Mr. President’s infrastructure renaissance.

Mohammed A. Ahmed
Director, Information and Public Relations.
1 February, 2026.

Oct

2024

WORKS MINISTER, SEN UMAHI HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS' MEETING ON THE ALIGNMENT OF THE LAGOS-CALABAR COASTAL HIGHWAY UNVEILS ONDO STATE 63KM SEGMENT OF THE HIGHWAY PROJECT The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen Engr Nweze David Umahi CON on Thursday, 31st October 2024 held a town hall meeting/ stakeholders' engagement with the government and stakeholders of Ondo State on the State 63km segment on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a legacy project of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR The Honourable Minister in the meeting, which was held at the Dome, Alagbaka, Akure, reiterated the determination of the Renewed Hope administration in revolutionizing road infrastructure for the economic advancement of Nigeria, adding that the four Renewed Hope Legacy Road projects would stimulate greater impetus In the economic growth potentials of the nation. The meeting had in attendance Sen. Mpigi Barinada - Chaiman Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Barr. Onyekachi Nwebonyi member, Sen. Osita Ngwu - Member, Senator Ayodele Adegbomire - member, Sen. Olajide Ipinsagba- member, Foluke Ogunbayo - (Clerk, Senate Committee on Works). Hon. Akin Alabi - (Chairman Federal House of Representatives Committee on Works), Hon. Usman Banye - Vice Chairman, Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, member Sadiq Adetunji - Clerk. Others are the SSA to the President on Community Engagement South-West, Moremi Ojudo, the SSA to the President on Community Engagement, South-East, Barr. Chioma Nweze, among other stakeholders from Ondo State, including the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky O. Aiyedatiwa, who hosted the event. ...

Oct

2024

TRENDING STATEMENT OF A MAN PURPORTING TO BE ADDRESSING THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS MISGUIDED, SELF SERVING AND VICIOUS PROPAGANDA TYPICAL OF A PROXY SPEAKING FOR NONCONFORMING CONTRACTORS. The attention of the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has been drawn to a trending statement of a man purporting to be addressing the Honourable Minister of Works over the state of roads in Nigeria and which was credited to the Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Hon. Engr. Aderemi Abasi Oseni. The Honourable Minister views this unprovoked attack as an inconceivable embarrassment demeaning to his person and the Federal Ministry of Works as neither he nor his Permanent Secretary was in such a meeting where the said Chairman of House Committee on FERMA was said to be addressing the Honourable Minister of Works. In a news conference dated 28th October 2024, the Honourable Minister stated that it was no doubt akin to darkening counsel without knowledge for the Honourable Chairman, House Committee on FERMA to vilify him over the bad state of Federal roads inherited from previous administrations numbering over 2,604 without deferring to the records of various interventions made by the Renewed Hope administration which have made a great difference in the public transport trajectory of Nigeria. The Honourable Minister has however chosen to refrain from joining issues with the said House Committee Chairman on FERMA because of the respect he has for the hallowed institution of the National Assembly, the Senate President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. He said, "For the respect of Mr. Speaker, and of course the Senate President and the National Assembly that I belong to, I will refrain myself from joining issues with him. He said, I have failed, and if a blind man is to assess you, your guess is as good as mine because if he has no knowledge of anything, then his knowledge becomes his god so I will not join issues with him.” He views the action of addressing him as if he was before the House Committee on FERMA as deliberate, ill-motivated, misguided, self-serving and nothing but a vicious propaganda typical of a proxy representing the interest of nonconforming contractors who have constituted themselves into adversaries against the Federal Ministry of Works for insisting on best practices in project pricing, variation on price and foreign exchange differentials. There is no doubt that the vituperations of the House Committee Chairman on FERMA were from the abundance of his heart, but to say that all the roads across the country have failed for the failure of the Honourable Minister of Works to address the existing road with the resources approved or for his failure to deploy the N300 billon supplementary fund approved for him or that he is concentrating his energy on the less priority issues shows that the House Committee Chairman on FERMA either has little knowledge of the volume of road infrastructure deficits inherited from successive administrations and cost requirements for road construction or that he deliberately refused, ignored and neglected to appreciate the Renewed Hope administration's intervention milestones or he is playing to the gallery on the prompting of the nonconforming contractors. He said," And let me say to him that the projects Mr. President inherited were a total of 2,604 projects. As of May 29, 2023, the total cost was N13 trillion. That's what the President inherited and a debt to contractors of N1.6 trillion. And when you look at the variation by the reason of the subsidy removal, by the reason of the floating of the dollar, you'll find out that if you review all these projects, you will see that you will get over N19 trillion for the total ongoing projects. Mr. President did what no other President has done. He manifested all the projects in the 2024 budget with the hope to give him time to look for resources, including loans, to do these projects. I wasn't in that meeting where the Honourable House member was said to be addressing me, and there is no way I was going to complain of resources to fix our roads because Mr. President has given very special attention to the Federal Ministry of Works. He has paid so much attention to the sufferings of Nigerians vis-a-vis the road situation, and the Ministry is not the only Ministry in Nigeria. Mr. President has a lot of other challenging situations and competing demands, yet he has given priority attention to the Ministry of Works" He noted that the utterances of the Chairman, House Committee on FERMA were no doubt aimed at inciting the public against the government that brought him on board as it is a common sense that a person of his level and profession ought to know the method statement required of road construction. He said, “There is no way you expect some projects that have lasted 20 years, 18 years, 17 years to be done in one year. And if he says he's an engineer, he should try and understand the processes that are involved in the Ministry of Works. It's different from his procurement of fertilizer with his constituency project. They are two different things. You have to go to the field, you have to measure the project, you have to design it, and you have to do in-house procurement to look at it.” He further said, “The method deployed in the construction will require you to do earthwork, to compact etc and if you don't give it one month and you start to put stone base and asphalt, it will fail. So, those times that you are preparing the sub-grade, the sub-base, the base course before the pavement, what do you call it? It is not valued by people like him as progress made" Furthermore, the Honourable Minister views it as a gross violation of parliamentary procedure for the Chairman of the House Committee on FERMA to invade the legislative powers of the Senate and House Committees on Works which have been carrying out oversight functions on the Ministry and are conversant with the achievements and challenges of the Ministry. He carpeted the Chairman of House Committee on FERMA for acting outside the legislative competence of his committee. Highlighting the modest achievements of the ministry across the six Geo-Political zones, the Honourable Minister thanked the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the unprecedented attention he has given in bridging the funding gap on the inherited projects. He said, “What we did is that we used over 90% of these funds to keep all the inherited projects alive as directed by Mr. President because a project has to be alive and in the budget before you can look for funds to assist it to be completed. That's what we've done, and so for those who are bitter that we have no projects to award to them, this is the reality.” He further said, “ Over 2,600 projects plus 330 supplementary projects plus the new projects in 2024 is not a tea party. It requires commitment, and it requires dedication, which we are doing. We work on Saturday, Sundays, and Public Holidays, and somebody will say we are giving attention to less priority issues without mentioning those less priority issues that we are giving attention to.” ...

Oct

2024

Engr. Umahi Flags Off Construction of Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway - Describes project as a jinx broken and true testament of Mr. President’s love for the North The Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi has described the award of the contract for the construction of Sokoto - Badagry Superhighway as a forty-eight year jinx being broken and a show of love for the people of the Northern part of the country by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He disclosed this at the flag off ceremony for construction works on the Section I, Phase 1A of the project in Ilelah town, Sokoto State on Thursday, 24th October, 2024. Engr. Umahi informed the gathering that the idea of the project was first muted during the first tenure of former President Shehu Shagari but could not be started earlier than the present, describing it as a payback to the people of Sokoto for the massive support given to the Tinubu Presidency at the 2023 polls, while also soliciting for same and much more during the 2027 elections. He further described the epoch-making event as a manifestation of one of the Legacy Projects of Mr. President, spanning over 2,000 km with the North having 52% and the South 48. The Minister revealed that the choice of rigid pavement i.e. concrete in its design and construction is informed by longevity, while that of the contractor, Messrs Hitech Construction (Nig.) Ltd is premised on capacity to deliver according to specifications and on schedule due to availability of both brand new equipment and requisite manpower. It has done a similar pavement work on the Apapa - Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State and is doing same on the Lagos - Calabar Coastal Highway. While appreciating the unwavering commitment and support of Members of the National Assembly for the President’s infrastructure renaissance, he equally thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the promise to provide security for the entire stretch of the corridor, while the work lasts. In welcoming guests at the occasion, the Deputy Governor, Sokoto State and Commissioner of Works, Hon. Idris Mohammed Danchadi alluded the project to “a dream come true” for the loyal people of the State. Briefing the massive crowd at the Ceremony, the Director, Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Bakare Umar and the representative of the Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Engr. Musa Seidu described the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto - Badagry Superhighway as a Trade, Transport and Security (TTS) Greenfield corridor traversing Sokoto state through Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and terminating in Lagos State. They opined that the project seeks to reduce transportation costs, improve trade, connectivity, efficiency and economies of scale around the corridor and beyond. The 120-kilometre, 6-lane highway, 3 lanes on each side is to be separated with beautiful median landscaping, solar street lighting and modern digital signages, adding that it will link various existing inter-border towns and routes, provide quick access, enhance border settlements for trade, security support and enablement. The length of Section I, Phase 1A starts from Km. 0 + 000 (Ilelah, Sokoto State) and ends at Silame on the Sokoto/Kebbi State border, according to them. In separate Good Messages, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, H.E. Sen. Abubakar Bagudu disclosed that at a Town Hall Meeting in July, 2024 at Birnin Kebbi, the Minister spoke about plans to embark on the project. He said that the flag-off represents the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to transform Nigeria and a proof that building viable and lasting infrastructures is possible. Also another former Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, H.E. Sen. Adamu Aliero stated that upon completion of the Superhighway, travel time between Sokoto to Lagos will be drastically reduced by 48 hours, adding that dams for irrigation and electricity generation and rail lines are amongst its integral parts. The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. (Barr.) Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi dubbed the Minister of Works as “Mr. Projects,” further assuring Nigerians of getting value for their money. While the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Usman Banye said it was a rare honour and a privilege to be a part of the epoch-making ceremony, also described the project as a catalyst for economic growth and a testament to Mr. President’s desire to better the lives of the citizenry. Speaking, the Minister of State for Works, Barr. Mohammed Bello Goronyo revealed that the project is a clear testament of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present Administration. He further stated that, as a Member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), he has heard the Minister spoke about the project in Council for a record three times, which is a demonstration of his, as well as the President’s love for Northern Nigeria, also a passion for infrastructure development. On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar promised to gather brothers and sisters in Sokoto and its environs to assist the Ministry in the delivery of the project, which is very dear to the people of Northern Nigeria. He used the opportunity to admonish leaders to, always, prioritise the welfare of the populace in their deeds. In his Speech, the Sokoto State Governor, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, FCNA, who flagged off the project, on behalf of the President, was full of praises for the Federal Government. While mentioning that the gigantic road project, when completed, will link the state with the Central and Western parts of Nigeria, he promised to provide adequate security cover throughout the length and breadth of the alignment within his jurisdiction. The Executive Governor also, specifically, expressed the sincere gratitude and best wishes of the entire people of Sokoto to Mr. President for adding yet another Ministerial slot to the State in yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle. ...

LIVE ACTIVITY FEED

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Nov

2025

OTHER NEWS

Feb

2022

FG Completes, Hands Over 1km Road to Fedpoly Kazaure

The fast moving train in the Season of Completion and Impact involving the commissioning of projects under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing moved to Jigawa State, North Western Nigeria, Thursday, February 24th, 2022.

Hussaini Adamu Federal Polytechnic, Kazaure in Jigawa State was the beneficiary this time around. And the project commissioned and handed over consisted of four link roads totalling one kilometer length rehabilitated with asphalt overlay in the institution by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

The four link roads were: Road A linking four classrooms and three lecture halls; Road B linking the three halls with the 500-seater lecture theatre; Road C linking the 500-seater theatre with students’ hostel; while Road D connect the students hostel and the accommodation tower.

In his address, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, represented by the Federal Controller of Works in Jigawa State, Engr. Atewolara Oladele Gabriel said that the Ministry was working on 76 road projects in selected Federal Tertiary Institutions across the nation.

"We have successfully intervened in the internal road networks of 46 Tertiary Institutions and handed over 29 as at 2021 and we now have another 17 ready to be handed over while we are currently attending to 30 roads in similar institutions across the country making a total of 76", he said.

The Minister explained that the quality of infrastructure in the tertiary institutions would improve the learning environment, and impact positively on the quality of education, pointing out that the feedbacks from the students of the schools where this type of intervention had taken place testified to it.

"The summary of all the feedbacks from students and Management staff of the institutions has demonstrated that the gap of the nation's infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs and construction on the major highways and schools," he said.

Accordingly, the Minister stated that the construction of the internal roads in the tertiary institutions by Federal Government was a pointer to the progressive ideals of the Buhari administration in improving the human condition by supporting education.

In his response, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Dr. Sabo Wada Dutse, expressed happiness and excitement at the intervention, which he described as significant to the development of the Polytechnic.

The Rector stated that, with the road intervention, the Polytechnic community was now living at peace with no fears of reptiles which the area was prone to before the intervention.
He, however, solicited further intervention by the Federal government in areas like street and security lights and construction of sports complex in the Polytechnic whenever the opportunity arises.

Chairman Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic Kazaure Chapter, Dr. Abdul'azeez Ibrahim Badaru, expressed appreciation to the Minister for including the Polytechnic in the Tertiary Schools Road Intervention Scheme.

He said ", this will ease the stress of both staff and students. The access roads will enhance the environment and improve teaching and learning”. He also thanked the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alh. Babangida Hussain, for what he has done for the Fedpoly Kazaure
" I want to appeal to the Honourable Minister to please include Federal Polytechnic Kazaure in the Housing scheme of the Ministry as the houses in the school are very few and very old, built by the Jigawa State Government before the conversion of the Polytechnic to a federal institution”, Dr Badaru added

Accordingly, he said the gesture would alleviate the suffering of the staff, who mostly come from Kano and other distant places, adding that it would also boost morale and performance, suggesting that the Ministry should construct at least 100 units of houses.

The President of the Students Union Government, Fedpoly Kazaure, comrade Adamu Sani Yarima, expressed profound gratitude to the Federal government and the Ministry of Works and Housing under the watch of Mr. Babatunde Fashola for supporting the Institution with the roads.
Comrade Yarima, also requested for more interventions especially in recreational facilities such as sports complex in the polytechnic.

SPEECHES

Sep

2021

BEING THE TEXT OF H.E BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN AT THE 27TH MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WORKS AND HOUSING HELD AT THE COMMAND GUEST HOUSE, BAUCHI, BAUCHI STATE ON THURSDAY, 23RD SEPTEMBER, 2021

It is a very exciting homecoming for me to return to Bauchi State, named after the ancient and historic Emirate of Bauchi, the home of the Yankari Game Reserve, a great gift of nature to Nigeria.

But Bauchi is not just home to Yankari, it is home to some very great and inimitable patriots who have served our country.

Perhaps Bauchi’s most famous son is Abubakar Tafewa Balewa, but Bauchi also gave Nigeria the Katagums, the Giades, the Toros, the Ahmeds, the Yugudas and so many other illustrious sons and daughters who have dedicated their lives to the service of our nation.

Of course we could not have this event here today without the support and commitment of another Bauchi son, who has followed the path of his illustrious predecessors in public service.

I speak of none other than our chief host HE Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, former Minister of the Federal Capital and now Governor of Bauchi State.

Your Excellency, I bring to you and the people of Bauchi the goodwill of the Federal Government and the best wishes of President Muhammadu Buhari and thank you for accepting to host this National Council.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the theme chosen for this year‘s council is “Infrastructure delivery, The Maintenance Economy and National Prosperity” and I hope it would help all of us focus on, not just the importance of the investment in infrastructure, but more importantly on the maintenance of infrastructure, the economy around maintenance and sustainable and long lasting jobs that are created through maintenance.

Since the implementation of the Marshall plan in 1948, after the Second World War, it has become clear to any serious minded economist or politician that infrastructure provision is critical to development, growth, wealth creation, employment and prosperity.

I have said and I will repeat it here, that infrastructure investment is the most legitimate way to distribute wealth in any economy.

This is why it is not surprising that during campaigns for elections and after elections, you will find discussions not only centering around roads, bridges, rails, schools, hospitals, water supply and power supply to be provided, you will also find that in the inauguration speech of every President, Prime Minister, Governor and other elected public officers, time is dedicated to addressing the provision of infrastructure.

I am sure our host will recall that he made similar commitments in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2019:

“…at the core of this mandate is the crucial drive to give Bauchi State citizens a better prospect and greater opportunity for a prosperous life. Reducing poverty and empowering our citizens in the areas of Agriculture, Education, urban and rural infrastructure among others.”

The reason for this is not far-fetched. The nations that are richer than us have more infrastructure than us and in order to bridge this gap we have to invest; because no nation or community can grow bigger than the stock of infrastructure.

Infrastructure also helps to make people efficient, it creates competition and leads to productivity. Currently the Federal Government is executing 895 contracts in 795 projects spanning over 13,000 km of roads and bridges nationwide.

Across all of these, engineers, geologists, surveyors, lawyers, bankers, suppliers, artisans and laborers are involved in an ecosystem of enterprise from which they earn a daily, weekly or other periodic income.

But that is only part of the story, the employment. The other parts include improved asset value, because everywhere a new road or bridge is built, the land value appreciates by up to 30% creating enormous capital gain.

On the completed sections of the roads, journeys that used to take days now take only a few hours, journeys that took hours are now reduced to minutes; and if it is true that time is money, clearly reduced journey times currently being delivered across Nigerian roads is money either through savings on journeys and fuel cost, or utilization of time saved for other productive activities, not to mention the Health benefits attributable to shorter travel time and reduced stress.

So when President Buhari committed on June 12, 2019 to taking 100 million people out of poverty in 10 years, his vision was not a Federal Government vision but a national one, which has started with the work being undertaken in all states and FCT and to which the Federal Government is contributing through infrastructure.

In the pursuit of this National vision, I urge all of us to embrace the more wholistic view and definition of poverty as not only the number of jobs, or amount of cash, but also well-being, efficiency and the lack of access.

For example if a one-hour journey takes six hours even in the best car, or land value is stagnant because it lacks an access road, the reversal of these situations by improved journey time or provision of access roads are steps towards prosperity.

Similarly, all those employed in the process of building the roads, surveyors, contractors, engineers, bankers, artisans, suppliers and lawyers have certainly been impacted on the income side.

Regrettably we cannot build forever and so when the infrastructure project is completed, most of those employed in the building must leave the site to look for new opportunities.

This is the heart of the matter and this is the message that the theme of this council seeks to focus on. What should we do in addition to building infrastructure, in order to keep the jobs on.

The answer, Ladies and Gentlemen is simple. We must maintain the infrastructure we built.

This is important for many reasons, the first of which is that we preserve the life of the infrastructure and get the best value for the money we spent on it.

The second reason is that a maintenance economy is a critical contributor and driver of GDP in many economies around the world.

You will notice that I have spoken about a “maintenance economy” not a “maintenance culture.” This is because maintenance is not a cultural thing, it is an existential matter of survival, bread and butter and income.

Available data shows that in the “built industry” only about 30% of the manpower is employable by design and construction which lasts until the project is completed; while the remaining 70% are employed in the process of “operation” and “maintenance” of the infrastructure.

These are the reasons why the development of a maintenance economy must commend itself to all of us here and why we must all return home not only to think about it, but to do something about it.

The question is what needs to be done? My answer is that we must develop policies to stimulate the economy of maintenance.

All that we need to do is take a look at the state of existing infrastructure, and we are likely to see bridges with damaged expansion joints and bearings, buildings with broken windows and leaking pipes, doors that do not lock properly, toilets that do not work well and so much more.

If we reflect on what we see, we will realize that these are jobs for plumbers, carpenters, printers, foundry workers and many more skilled and unskilled people in our country and it is our responsibility to connect these people to the opportunities that infrastructure in disrepair represents for sustainable employment.

The Federal Government has already initiated such a policy in 2019, and we are now at implementation stage.

This has seen the Head of the Federal Civil Service approve the creation of the Department for Federal Public Asset Maintenance.

The next step is for each Ministry Department and Agency (MDA) of government to set up their own units for maintenance, undertake a condition assessment of their infrastructure, develop a maintenance plan, and implement the procurement for annual periodic and scheduled maintenance.

You might want to ask what this will do? My answer is that it will immediately begin to create jobs.

From the first stage of condition assessment, people are employed to inspect, assess, measure, document, photograph and do many things in the process of ascertaining what the infrastructure needs.

In 9 (nine) facilities that we assessed the conditions of fittings such as fans, air conditioners, light fittings, toilets and wash hand basin, we found that out of 41,800 installations 12,459 representing 29.8% were not functioning. These are people’s jobs to repair, supply, replace and install as the case may be.

The development of the maintenance plan and the procurement plan leading to invitation to tender and award of maintenance contracts for rehabilitation and facility management is a sure pathway to job creation.

Currently we are undertaking maintenance works on 41 (Forty-One) bridges that has employed 1,157 people directly and created 3,309 indirect jobs and we have facility management contracts for 25 federal secretariats across Nigeria after we completed renovation works. Each facility manager employs at least 40 people.

This is only a tip of the iceberg because the supply side that supports maintenance involves the purchase and supply of paint, bleach, rakes, brooms and other tools which create employment for small and medium size enterprises which is another activity of economic empowerment.

When we started the office of Facility Management in Lagos State, I recall one day when we awarded contracts for the facility management of 600 schools. This was employment not only for 600 small contractors but also for the people that were employed to do the job.

Ladies and Gentlemen, when we see functional and efficient public assets in other parts of the world there is no secret to it. It is evidence of a maintenance economy led by government.

Our federal maintenance initiative has assessed schools, courts, hospitals, correctional facilities and police buildings and is getting ready to commence work on them. I commend the same to you in your states if you want to create sustainable jobs.

Thank you for listening.

Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN
Honourable Minister of Works and Housing