Perm Sec Charges Engineers on Economic Growth and Job Creation. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Bashir Nura Alkali, FCA, FCTI, has charged Nigerian Engineers to come up with resolutions that can lead to economic growth and job creation in the country. He gave this charge while declaring open the 43rd Conference of Directors of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Departments of Ministries of Works and Housing in the Federation. Alkali, was ably represented by the Director, Human Resources Department in the   Ministry, Aliyu Abdullahi The Theme of the Conference is "Engineers as Catalyst for National Economic Growth and Job Creation." He said "Conversing about Engineers as Catalyst for National Economic Growth and Job Creation, the papers to be presented at this conference are to address issues bothering on economic growth and job creation"   He also noted that Engineers need to start turning their ideas and inventions into marketable products and services through planning, designing, constructing, installing, commissioning and maintaining of infrastructures. Describing the roles of engineers as prime and fundamental, Alkali pointed out that to alleviate poverty in Nigeria, the country would need a growth model that could generate adequate jobs for her citizens and it could only be achieved through industrialization. "Nigeria needs a growth model that can generate sufficient jobs for her huge population and also be inclusive enough to significantly curb poverty" he said. Accordingly, the Permanent Secretary stated that industrialization being a product of technologies and application of technological breakthrough could only be a reality through advancement in engineering. He told the delegates that the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has given the approval for the Ministry to commence the training of Artisans in the various Ministry’s training schools, pointing out that the launching of the N-Power by the administration of President Muhammad Buhari and Special Public Works Programme has provided Nigerian youths job placement and empowerment. In his welcome address, the chairman of the Conference and Head of Engineering Department in the Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Valentine Nwaimo, urged delegates to come up with a workable communique that could be presented for consideration and approval at the upcoming Council on Works. "As the Conference progresses, I want to wish all of us a very fruitful deliberation so as to come up with a good communiquè that is worthy of presentation at the Council of Works which is the highest policy making body for consideration and approval," he said. According to Engr Nwaimo, the Conference of Directors of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Department of the Ministries of Works and Housing of the Federation is an annual event where papers on a selected theme are presented and deliberated upon for the acceleration of Nigeria’s development. He told the participants to utilize this opportunity to brainstorm on topical issues affecting the growth of the country in diverse area and come up with innovative ideas that could lead to economic growth, creation of jobs as well as stem the tide of corruption. ...

FG’s Investments in Roads, Bridges, Other Social Capital Projects Aimed at Creating Choice, Imminent Prosperity - Fashola •    Says Lagos - Badagry Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, Others making rapid progress with dedicated funding The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN has said that the commitment of the Federal Government to public assets like roads, bridges, ports, dam and other social capital investments is aimed at creating choice and imminent prosperity for the citizenry. Noting that the choice would come in form of reduced journey time and better travel experience, the Minister also assured that the Federal Government will complete Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge and other critical road transport infrastructure of the nation soon. Fashola, who spoke while hosting a team of senior management staff from the PUNCH Newspapers, led by the PUNCH Editor, Mr Dayo Oketola, said that the Federal Government has gotten N16bn Tax Credit Fund for the construction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Fashola stated that the speed of work on that road, as well as some others, were dependent on the funds available for such projects adding that with the Tax Credit Fund work was progressing substantially on that axis. Defending borrowing to finance infrastructure, he said, the Buhari Administration has paid over N700 billion since coming into government which was part of the debt left by previous Administrations. According to the Minister, borrowing as an essential component of public finance becomes necessary in order to be able to respond to the unceasing request for vital infrastructure from the citizenry. “The public assets – roads, bridges, highways, ports, dams are the social capital investments that the government must make” for individuals and businesses to get on with their life. According to the Minister, such investments create choice and ultimately prosperity. “All of us know the impact of choice in our lives, if you have to wear only one clothe as against if you have four… You are going to have two Bridges across the Niger, it’s a sign of imminent prosperity, that is what is being done now…” Explaining that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was responding to the infrastructural needs of the various parts of the country through a combination of borrowing and various innovative funding initiatives. “You are complaining about debt, where do you think, money is going to come from to build the Badagry road? So that is why there was no progress on it in the past.” He added, “But the reason why there has been an appreciable progress now on that road is because we got Tax Credit Fund for it.’’ On the Lagos-Ota Road, Fashola said the contract sum was over N50bn, “but go and look in the budget and see how much is there (for the road), may be N200m,” adding that with the injection of N7bn this year work progressed on the road. Speaking on the forthcoming election, Fashola opined that it was important to have the next election focus on the issue of public financing knowledge because often times the nation go into election without debate about funding and to find out where the money is going to come from when aspirants make promises. "Somebody has to pay for it. It is either debt or increase on taxation or better still through private investment, this, the Ministry is currently doing something in that direction through the Tax Credit Scheme, the Highway Development Management Initiative which is trying to concession 12 highways." Responding to the question on subsidy, the Minister stated that, what a Nation wants to do is determined by its leadership and that the issue of subsidy would be best addressed by the Nigerian people themselves through their representatives at the National Assembly. "I agreed that the amount of money that is committed to a single product in terms of subsidy is a matter for concern and I think it is a debate we have shied away from. The matter is a combination of policy and economy and cannot be separated."  He added that if it were simply an economic decision, it would have been removed. "So, it is the decision of the Nigerian people. If they take that decision, government will implement it," he said. Earlier, the leader of the Nigerian Punch Newspaper Management Team, an Editor, Mr. Dayo Oketola commended the Minister for the numerous programmes and projects embarked upon since assumption of office. He noted that The Punch Newspaper will as a medium continue to inform Nigerians and also to educate them saying the organization are partners in progress with the government of the day. " We believe in the project Nigeria and we pray and hope it will work," he said. ...

Works Ministry Organizes Health Talk for Directors. In a bid to create awareness on health-related matters that will greatly enhance productivity, more so to aid the life expectancy of serving Officers, the Ministry of Works and Housing has organized a one-day Workshop on Health matters for Directors of the Ministry, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. The one-day workshop is on: stress management, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, work-life balance of and Cardiac Arrest. The workshop was Organized in recognition of the important roles Directors plays in their fields and capacity in managing staff and material resources of their departments. In his opening address before declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary Of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, FCA, FCTI said that the objective of the workshop is to create awareness on early detection of some health-related challenges that are life-threatening diseases before they become intractable. Mr Bashir Nura Alkali added that the Ministry has maintained a robust plan as part of its efforts to improve the welfare and general well-being of its staff as part of its reward system.  " It is my pleasure therefore to underline that the health plan which initially began as a bi-monthly routine medical check-up has been scaled up to include an annual health talk for all staff of the Ministry",  he said. Alkali encouraged the Directors to reap the full benefits of the health talk and promised that the health talk workshop would be extended to other categories of staff of the Ministry. The workshop was Organized by Elyon Synergy Ltd, Lagos, in conjunction with the Ministry of Works and Housing. The two Medical Doctors who delivered the talks are Dr. Jacob Nwanchukwu a stress management consultant and Prof. David.A. Oke, the current Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. Some of the important health topics discussed included: Prevention and Control of Hypertension, Economic Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases. Discussed extensively also were, kidney functions, failure and treatment, modern methods of diabetic management, sudden death and technology of medical devices. Others are high cholesterol and physical exercise for fitness, finance, wellness and stress-free investments were emphasized. The workshop was well attended by the Directors of the Ministry because of the invaluable benefit of health in relation with their work fields and capacities. Giving his Vote of Thanks, the Director, Human Resources, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi, appreciated the Honourable Ministers for granting approval for this health talk for the Directors of the Ministry. He said that for the workshop to get its approval, the Ministers and the Permanent Secretary truly demonstrated that they value the Management of the Ministry and therefore take seriously the health issues of its staff. " It is highly commendable and we should take the health tips serious as recommended by our health experts," he said. ...