President Buhari Reiterates Government’s Commitment To Infrastructure Development President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the present Administration’s commitment towards massive infrastructural development in the country, saying that the Executive Order No 5 issued earlier this year is to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the various completed and on-going investments in infrastructure across the country. The President, who was represented by the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Raji Fashola SAN, stated this at the 60th Anniversary Colloquium of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) with the theme: “Re- Engineering the Engineers for Optimum National Economic Growth and Development”, held today at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Abuja. Fashola disclosed that the policy of infrastructural development embarked upon by the present Administration will bring about a total diversification of “our economy away from oil dependence and open new opportunities for prosperity to Nigerians”. He further explained that the Executive Order No 5 on local content is a step towards ensuring that, in the short term, the economic benefits of these investments in infrastructure are maximized for the benefits of Nigerians. Fashola noted that massive projects like the Kano-Maiduguri dualisation, the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, the East - West road, Lagos- Ibadan expressway, the Benin- Okene- Lokoja dualisation, the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Bodo- Bonny highway, and the Mambilla Hydro Power will form the foundation for building the country’s prosperity. He said, “these projects and many others like our rail projects from Lagos – Kano, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Air and Sea Ports at various stages of completion will form the foundation for building our household of prosperity.” The Minister revealed that a snap audit of 77 works construction sites and 50 housing sites was conducted to ascertain the number of foreigners employed on those sites which showed that more Nigerians are employed on these sites. Earlier, the President of NSE, Engineer Adekunle Olumuyiwa Mokuolu, in his welcome address, disclosed that the association which was founded in 1958 by young and vibrant Nigerian engineers to build a cohesive organisation for recognition of their professional expertise. He noted that the tenacity of the founding fathers has not faltered. He further noted that NSE has become “a veritable platform for true professional development of Engineers and the vehicle for driving the technological advancement of our country”. Presentations of “Diamond Jubilee Awards,” an appreciation award, were presented by the Minister, on behalf of the NSE, to some past presidents of the Society for their commitment.   ...

Fashola Lauds The Economic Potentials Of Buhari’s Administration The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Bababtunde Raji Fashola, SAN has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime as the Government that is laying a solid foundation for the economic growth and prosperity of Nigeria. Fashola stated this at the flag-off ceremony for the reconstruction of the 34 kilometer Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway, a road built between 1975-1978, which he tagged as main artery of all our import and export businesses.  He added that the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota Dual Carriageway will improve the socio-economic lives of the people, generate employment opportunities for both skill and unskill labour. The Minister disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, in its wisdom entered into partnership with the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the reconstruction of the road due to his belief and commitment in the Federal Government Ease of Doing Business Initiatives. Fashola stated that Alhaji Dangote is a man who believes in investing enormous wealth in Nigeria- a place Dangote truly regards as his home, adding that Nigerians should continue to pray for his successes. The Minister used the opportunity of the flag-off to charge Tanker and Trailer Drivers to exercise caution and decorum while driving on our busy roads, stressing that there are thousands of other road users whose rights of ways starts where that of the Articulated vehicle drivers ends. He enjoined the security agencies to refrain from extorting illegal fees from drivers but partner with them so that Nigerians will witness the seamless flow of traffic especially during this Ember month season. Fashola urged Nigerians to dispel unnecessary insinuations that they should vote for their brothers or sisters during elections, adding that “tribalism and religion does not build roads. Anybody that does the right thing is my brother,” he stated. Earlier, Alhaji Aliko Dangote stated that the partnership for the reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway is a laudable project that will usher in significant infrastructural development, stressing that the financing is coming from his organization’s corporate taxes to the Federal Government. Before the Flag-off ceremony, the Honorable Minister of Power, Works and Housing commissioned the 4 kilometer Wharf Road in Apapa reconstructed by the trio of Messrs AG, Dangote, Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC and the Nigerian Ports Authority as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. The two colourful events were well attended by notable dignitaries which include, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode , Former  Governor of Kano State and Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Distinguished Senator , Kabiru Gaya , Wife of Former Governor of Lagos State and the Senator representing the Lagos Central , Her Excellency, Distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu,  Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, Representative of the Oba of Lagos, Obanikoro, Chairman, Truck Owners Association of Lagos, Chief Oluremi Ogungweyi amongst others.   ...

Buhari-Led FG Has Delivered Visible Results, Addressing Economic Growth Through Infrastructure, Says Fashola * As Minister delivers Progress Report on activities of his Ministry in the last three years * Total of 2147 roads constructed/rehabilitated and 79,378 people employed between 2016 and November 2018 * Generation increased from 4,000 MW to 7000 MW, Transmission from 5000 MW to 7000 MW, Distribution from 2690 MW to 5,222 MW * National Housing Programme ongoing in 34 States that provided land, sites are an  ecosystem of human enterprise that offers opportunities to the society’s most vulnerable * This is progress that we must move forward by consolidating on our mandate of change. We cannot go back, he says The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN, Monday reviewed the activities and achievements of his Ministry in the last three years saying the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration has delivered visible results and recorded qualitative progress with the outcome that there was no state in Nigeria today where the Federal Government was not executing one project or the other. Briefing newsmen on his Third Year Progress Report, Fashola, who recalled his first briefing on December 8, 2015 titled “Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change” in which he stated what he inherited, what he planned to do, and what Nigerians should expect, declared that with careful thinking, planning, and a dedicated team of public officers, the Ministry now has a firm foothold on its way to the top. The Minister told the various news platforms as well as members of the public at the crowded press conference, “Our policies have shown what is possible with critical sectors recording growth. What remains is time that it takes for the full harvest of the fruits of our policies in plenitude and prosperity of our people”. 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. Also expected are transmission expansion from 90 transmission projects nationwide to boost the capacities of the Distribution Companies to distribute power across the country, the Minister said adding that some of the transmission substations recently completed included Apo, Mayo Belwa, Damaturu, Maiduguri, Odogunyan and Ejigbo substations. According to him, 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”. Recalling that he promised in his inaugural address that it would not just be electricity by numbers but electricity that would be borne out by personal experiences, Fashola disclosed that the report of survey carried out by government and feedback mechanism put in place by it had confirmed that many Nigerians now have public power for longer hours compared to 2015 and run generators for shorter periods compared to 2015 while they now spend less money on diesel to power their generators. “As some Citizens recently reported, they no longer have to iron all their clothes one week in advance as they previously used to do, because the supply is proving reliable and predictable even if not yet fully Stable and uninterrupted. This is progress that we must move forward by consolidating on our mandate of change. We cannot go back”, the Minister declared. He said as the policies on Mini Grids, Meter Asset Provider, Eligible Customer, and liquidity sustenance and improved governance deepen, the experience with power supply could only get better adding, however, that the success of the plans now would depend on “energy users who must conserve energy when not needed”. Relating to roads and bridges, Fashola, who also said progress report has confirmed the promise he made at inauguration had been fulfilled, declared, “We have recovered the thousands of jobs that were lost to  public works. This recovery is the result of   an expansive infrastructure spending that saw works budget grow from N18.132b in 2015 to N394b 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 and construction workers are engaged on these sites”, he said adding that  even difficult or abandoned projects like the 2nd Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Bodo-Bonny Bridge have been brought back to life. He noted that sections of Ilorin-Jebba, Sokoto to Jega, Sokoto-Ilela have been completed, “while progress of works continues nationwide from Jada to Mayo Belwa, Enugu to Port Harcourt, Lagos to Otta, Ikorodu to Shagamu, Benin to Okene, Lokoja to Abuja, Kano to Maiduguri, Abuja – Kaduna, Kano to mention a few”. Fashola said apart from recovered construction jobs and growth in construction sector of the economy, the feedback from road users has shown that the journey times were reducing on the completed roads recalling a text message he received last week from a commuter reporting that he travelled from Warri to Lagos in Five and Half hours. Noting that the foregoing represents a promise kept, Fashola, who recalled that the journey from Warri to Lagos used to take a whole day with people sometimes sleeping on the Road before President Buhari was elected, declared, “We cannot go back to that era. We are determined to move forward”. He added, “Although the work was not finished, but as long as we remain able to finance the projects, I have no doubt that it will get better”. And supporting the assertions of the Minister, the Director Highways Planning and Development, Engineer Chukwunwike Uzo, said a total of 1262 roads were constructed and 885 roads were rehabilitated between 2016 and November 2018 while 79,378 persons were employed. A breakdown of the figure showed that while 277 roads were constructed and 345 rehabilitated with 17,749 people employed in 2016, in 2017, 468 roads were constructed and 256 rehabilitated with 31,227 people employed in the process, while 497 roads were constructed and 284 rehabilitated while 30,402 people got employed According to the Director, who made a contribution during the Question and Answer session, a total of N907, 628.118, 217 was budgeted for Works between 2016 and 2018 while a total of N499, 609,297,524 were disbursed to contractors during the period. Pointing out that the intervention on roads did not stop on interstate highways, the Minister said his Ministry has also entered 14 Federal Universities where unattended internal roads were now receiving attention listing the institutions to include, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University Oye, Ekiti, University of Benin, Federal University, Lafia, Federal University, Otuoke Bayelsa and Bayero University, Kano. Others, according to him, are Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), University of Maiduguri, Federal University, Lokoja, Federal Polytechnic Bauchi, Federal University, Gashua, Kaduna Polytechnic, Federal College of Education Katsina and University College Ibadan. According to him, “This is the First Phase under the 2017 Budget and we are preparing to do more under the 2018 Budget. Noting that the intervention and nine Independent Power projects in Federal Universities was an investment in Education for the benefit of those who seek more funding for education, Fashola said while roads were being built, government was also attending to old or damaged bridges and restoring the value of maintenance. While the Loko - Oweto Bridge was nearing completion, the damaged Tatabu Bridge linking Ilorin and Jebba had been reconstructed and the Tamburawa Bridge in Kano, the Isaac Boro Bridge in Rivers, Eko Bridge in Lagos and the Old Niger Bridge that links Anambra and Delta were receiving regular maintenance attention. In Housing, the Minister said public buildings like the Federal Secretariats in Zamfara, Bayelsa, Nasarawa and Ekiti and the Zik Mausoleum in Onitsha had now been practically completed pointing out that the pilot National Housing Programme has led to a nationwide Housing Construction being undertaken in the 34 states where government had received land. “No less than 1,000 people are employed on each site apart from the staff of the successful contractors”, he said. “These sites are an  ecosystem of human enterprise, where artisans, vendors, suppliers and craftsmen converge to partake of opportunities and contribute to nation building. These are some of the most vulnerable people for whom President Buhari has delivered”, Fashola said adding parastatals like the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) were also contributing while policies like the reduction of equity contribution from 5% to 0% for those seeking mortgage loans of up to N5million, and reduction  from 15% to 10% for those seeking loans over N5million were helping to ease access to housing. According to the Minister, the Ministry is also tackling the backlog of issuance of consent  and Certificates of Occupancy to Federal Government land” adding that a total of 1,216 Application for Consent to transfer interests in Land application and 1,300 Certificates of Occupancy have been approved and signed respectively as at 25th October 2018. Fashola, who noted that as the year heads to an end, festivity, end of year activity and consequent movement of goods and services would put pressure on the roads nationwide, added, “Our Ember month planning committee, working with FRSC and FERMA have been meeting to prepare themselves to make your movement during this period as conducive as the circumstances will permit”. According the Minister, “FRSC will deploy their personnel across the major transport corridors of the country during this period of heavy movement to help manage traffic. They have committed to setting up nine camps and 18 help areas across the zones to provide support and help to commuters in need”. The Ministry’s staff, he also said, had identified 53 critical roads requiring intervention while construction is going on in order to move traffic and would be working with the contractors to provide relief gangs while the Ministry as also deploying the Zonal Directors to their zones of responsibility until the period of peak traffic subsides. Wishing Nigerians a Happy Christmas in advance with a promise of pleasant travel time during the festivities, Fashola declared, “With careful thinking, planning, and a dedicated team of public officers, we have a firm foothold on our way to the top. Our policies have shown what is possible with critical sectors recording growth. What remains is time that it takes for the full harvest of the fruits of our policies in plenitude and prosperity of our people.We cannot go back to the bottom of the mountain when the plateau is now within reach”. ...