FG Seeks The Support Of El- Rufai On Right Of Way The Federal government has called for the support and cooperation of the Kaduna State Government to ensure that the few obstructions  on the road towards the Rigachukwu and Raba road which is part of  section 1 of the Abuja - Kaduna - Kano road construction and rehabilitation project are removed so that the contractor can have access to work. The Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Honourable Umar Ibrahim El - Yakub made the call when he paid a courtesy visit on the Governor at the Government House,  Kaduna on Friday  October, 21,2022. The Minister informed the Governor who was represented by his deputy, Dr.Hadiza Sabo Balarabe that he was on an inspection tour of the Abuja -Kaduna - Zaria - Kano road to assess the progress of work  by the contractor. He told the Governor that the work which was suspended at section one of the road due to security threat will soon resume fully as the security situation on the road had improved significantly. He praised Governor El - Rufai for the infrastructural development he championed in the state. The Minister said,"Under the leadership of Mallam Nasir El - Rufai's  very dynamic and purposeful government,  Kaduna has seen alot of transformation." While emphasising the significance of infrastructure  El- Yakub said, " It is an essential part of economic development because economic activities thrive when you have developed  infrastructure." Responding on behalf of the Governor, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minister for coming to inspect the road.  Dr. Balarabe expressed optimism that the construction and rehabilitation of the road will ease movement of people and goods, ease the security situation in the areas and boost the economic activities of the people.  Later while briefing newsmen,  the Minister disclosed that  section 2 of the road which begins from Zaria to Funtua is about 56 kilometres out of which 7 kilometres  is a dual carriageway. He added that the contractor has promised that by next month the 7 kilometers carriageway would be completed. He expressed happiness over the quality of work. He stated that the project is being funded under the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme which is one of the innovative ways introduced by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration for financing infrastructure. El - Yakub also inspected the Rigachuku and Dumbi bridges. He informed journalists that currently only one of the dual carriageway of the Rigachuku brigde is functioning, he however said  that  the contractor has been mobilised to  work on it. He added that the Dumbi bridge is still functioning fully but the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is just being proactive to ensure that any weakness in the bridge is rectified. Engineer Alex Onaji who is the Engineer's Representative on  section 2 of the project said work was progressing on the project and only 13 percent was remaining to get it completed, adding that the contractor was committed to the project.   ...

FG Reiterates Commitment To The Completion Of Abuja - Kaduna -Kano Road. ....Work on Abuja - Kaduna road to resume fully The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to the completion of the Abuja- Kaduna- Kano road. The Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Hon. Umar Ibrahim El- Yakub gave the assurance while inspecting   the road from Abuja to Kaduna eastern bypass on Thursday, October 20, 2022. The Minister said the contractor suspended work on the first section of the road due to the security threat especially after the train attack in March this year will soon resume  work fully on the road because of the obvious improvement on the security in the area. He said contrary to the speculation that the contract was abandoned, palliative work was being done after it was discovered that the road had deteriorated due to the effect of rainfall.  He added that the contractor has been working on the second and third sections of the road which have reached appreciable level and would be delivered on schedule. The Minister said, " We are still optimistic that sections two and three of the roads will be finished between now and first quarter of next year. However, section one will be longer than that for obvious reasons." El-Yakub said work on the three sections were moving simultaneously before the train attack and over fifty percent of the work on section one was achieved before the contractor suspended the work due to the security problem. Speaking on the progress of work at the eastern bypass in Kaduna, the Minister lamented that the contract which was awarded by the previous administration in 2002 was neglected until the advent of  the President Buhari led administration who has placed premium on infrastructure development across the nation due to its significance to the development and prosperity of the people and the country. He disclosed that the bypass has a total of ten bridges: four land bridges, five river bridges and one bridge over the railway line. He commended Mr. President, the Chief of Defence Staff and the entire security operatives for their tireless efforts in ensuring the security of life and properties of the people. The Minister who reassured Nigerians that maximum attention will be given to the work on the road to ensure its completion as soon as possible, observed that no administration in recent times has committed so much efforts and resources on infrastructure be it road, rail, airport, health or digital communication. Similarly, the Honourable member representing Tudunwada - Doguwa Constituency of Kano State in the House of Representatives, Honourable Alhassan Ado Doguwa who was passing by during the inspection commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Ministers of Works and Housing for their commitment to the work on the road, adding that when completed it would ease the security threat in the area. He also praised the commitment of the President and security architecture in the country for their efforts in addressing the security problem in the country especially in recent times.  The Federal Controllers of Works for the Federal Capital Territory and that of Kaduna State expressed gratitude for the encouragement by the management of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and gave the assurance of the commitment of the contractor to the project.   ...

Infrastructure, Most Legitimate Way Of Wealth Distribution - Fashola The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, CON.SAN, has said that infrastructure development is the most legitimate way of distributing wealth in an economy, explaining that its impact on job creation and economic growth is very significant on the Nation’s economy. Fashola stated this, Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at the National Press Center, Radio House Abuja, during the media briefing of his Ministry’s scorecard during President Muhammadu Buhari's Administration, 2015-2023. This is the inaugural edition of this series.  The event being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, was presided over by the Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed. According to Fashola, the Change Agenda which was unfolded in the Ministry of Works and Housing in 2015 as part of the larger objective of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was to grow the economy through the revamping and expansion of the nation’s infrastructure on a scale that has not been seen in a long while. “Indeed, the Ministry of Works and Housing is present in all the States of the Federation either through a Road, Bridge, National Housing Programme, Federal Secretariat or Special Intervention Project.” he said. Explaining further, Fashola stated that in the last seven and half years, the administration of President Buhari has been very resolute in the pursuit of Progressivism, which is globally recognized as the improvement of the human condition, pointing out that the administration has never abandoned any project of the previous administrations but rather, President Buhari gave a matching order to complete existing projects instead of starting new ones. Fashola asked “If in 2015 the conversation was on the existence of a large number of abandoned infrastructures and the seeming lack of political will to complete those infrastructures in spite of the availability of resources and today the Buhari administration has made these possible in spite of lean resources; if in 2015 such critical infrastructure as the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway were either totally non-existent or in a very deteriorated state and if today the Buhari administration has demonstrated that needed political will to break the jinx on our nation’s historically most difficult projects, does it not stand to reason to conclude that the Party which formed the Government deserves to continue to deliver to the people of Nigeria these lifes- defining infrastructure”  Fashola disclosed that the second Niger bridge was now completed and will soon be opened to the public for use, pointing out that what was delaying the commissioning was the construction of the link road to the bridge from both the Asaba and Onisha axes.  “I can confirm that the second Niger Bridge itself is finished. People can walk through it now. What remains now is the link roads.” he said On Housing, the Minister said that the National Housing Programme that was initiated by the Ministry of Works and Housing at the onset of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration had affordability and accessibility as key considerations.  He said “the National Housing Programme is now delivering on its objective of stimulating the economies of the 35 states and the FCT. Jobs have been created in the communities where the construction of the houses are being built. Such needs  for artisans, builders, engineers, and other skilled persons in the built industry, the construction sites have been and remain centres of supply for building materials and other commodities”   He explained that with the Programme now in a season of completion, many of the houses have been completed and are now being handed over to the beneficiaries who follow the allocation procedure set out in the National Housing Programme web portal (https://nhp.worksandhousing.gov.ng ) “The National Housing Programme has therefore produced new home owners but in the process also produced citizens who found economic fulfilment as contractors, suppliers of various construction items and artisans’ he concluded   ...