Federal Ministry of Works

May

2026

LATEST PRESS

INFRASTRUCTURE REMAINS CRITICAL TO ECONOMIC GROWTH — PERMANENT SECRETARY TELLS INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE CONFERENCE 2026 IN ABUJA

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Rafiu Olarinre Adeladan, has reaffirmed that infrastructure development remains the foundation of economic growth and sustainable national development, stressing that no nation can attain meaningful progress without substantial investment in critical infrastructure.

Speaking at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 held on Thursday in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary described infrastructure as a key driver of economic transformation, noting that the present administration has prioritised infrastructure and transportation as central pillars of national development.

According to him, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and South Africa have continued to achieve significant economic advancement through deliberate and sustained investments in roads, railways, power, and other essential infrastructure.

He explained that infrastructure plays a strategic role across all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, transportation, commerce, and oil and gas, by facilitating the movement of goods and services, enhancing productivity, attracting investments, and improving the quality of life of citizens.

Adeladan further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Works has adopted modern and resilient road construction technology known as Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP), in line with global best practices and in response to the growing impact of climate change on road infrastructure.

He noted that although CRCP roads require higher initial construction costs, they are more durable, environmentally sustainable, cost-effective over time, and capable of withstanding heavy traffic loads for up to 50 years with minimal maintenance.
The Permanent Secretary added that the adoption of concrete pavement technology promotes local content development through the utilisation of locally sourced materials and labour, thereby creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth.

Addressing the challenges confronting infrastructure development in Nigeria, Adeladan identified inadequate funding as a major constraint, particularly given the enormous resources required to bridge the nation’s infrastructure deficit.

He explained that government alone cannot provide all the funding needed for infrastructure development, hence the increasing adoption of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and concession arrangements for major road projects nationwide.
He cited the Benin–Asaba Road and the Abuja–Keffi–Akwanga corridor as examples of projects already concessioned to ensure sustainable maintenance, improved efficiency, and enhanced service delivery.

The Permanent Secretary stressed the importance of designing infrastructure projects with clear developmental objectives, sustainability, climate resilience, and community needs in mind, noting that infrastructure investments must deliver tangible socio-economic benefits and long-term public value.

Also speaking at the conference, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Temitope Peter Fashedemi, underscored the importance of proper planning and climate-conscious infrastructure delivery to mitigate losses caused by flooding, erosion, and poor maintenance culture.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Emanso Umobong, advocated the integration of technology, smart city concepts, community participation, and human capital development in infrastructure planning and implementation.

In his remarks, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) emphasised that Nigeria’s huge infrastructure gap requires stronger private sector participation, noting that sustainable infrastructure financing can only be achieved through an enabling environment that guarantees investor confidence and reasonable returns on investment.

The conference brought together top government officials, policymakers, development experts, and other stakeholders to deliberate on strategies for strengthening infrastructure delivery and promoting sustainable national development through innovation, technology, and collaborative partnerships.

Mohammed A. Ahmed
Director, Information and Public Relations
21st May,2026

Jan

2018

FEC Approves Projects in Water, Aviation and Power Sectors The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N3.7 billion for the rehabilitation of Kazaure water project and N656 million for upgrading of obsolete Flight Safety Laboratory and framework for investment in the nation’s power sector. Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, who alongside the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, and the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made this known while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council’s meeting. He said the Kazaure water project which was started in 1997 and abandoned in 2000 would soon be resuscitated under the on-going Federal Government’s programme of resuscitating all irrigable land across the country. Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said that the upgrading of the flight laboratory was necessitated by the fact that the equipment which was established in 2012 had become obsolete. Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing said the Council approved a framework of investment at the 33KVA and 11KVA line in expanding the national distribution network, to deliver an extra 2000Megawatts of electricity (to consumers) which is currently not getting to the grid. ...

Jan

2018

FG to involve more Nigerians in Meter Manufacturing – Fashola The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola on Thursday said the Federal Government had concluded plans to involve more Nigerians in meter manufacturing. Fashola spoke while inspecting the National Meter Test Station in Oshodi, Lagos. He said that the measure would reduce the pressure on Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) on meter supply. “The core business of DISCOs is to transport energy; their business is not to supply meters. “The government will address metering more vigorously this year with regulations which will open up business in metering to more investors. “This will reduce the pressure on DISCOs so that they can concentrate more on their core business. “So, we will open up the business to other people who want to play in the sector once the meter regulations are completed this year,” he said. Fashola said that Nigeria’s meter journey from 1950 showed that consumers depend on meters from foreign countries. “We have seen Nigeria’s meter journey; the meters from 1950 to date, meters from Greece, Japan, Britain and China. This has shown that how our industry totally depends on meters from foreign countries. “But now, we are beginning to see meters from local manufacturers like Mojec and Moman; that is a good place to be. “At present, we have over 100 million telephone subscribers in Nigeria, but let me ask you, how many telephones are made in Nigeria? “We spend millions of naira to buy telephone from China and still we will go back and borrow money from China. “So, we want to change that in the meter industry; we are happy that some Nigerians are manufacturing meter in Nigeria and we promise to support them,” he said. He added that the National Meter Test, under Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA) was to test the accuracy of meters before installation. According to him, the accuracy tests are in two steps, so that the DISCOs will not cheat consumers and consumers do not cheat DISCOs. The minister reiterated the FG’s plan to roll out meters to Nigerian consumers soon. He said: “We plan to roll out meters, and we must”. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEMSA and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Mr Peter Ewesor, said all meters being used by the DISCOs passed through the centre before installation. According to him, it is not possible for the meters that passed through the centre to shortchange consumers. (NAN) Source: (NAN) ...

Jan

2018

Aftermath Of Fire Incident Reported By Gas Processing Company : Tcn , Gencos Working To Restore Operation Of National Grid …We urge members of the public to bear with us as we work to overcome this set back which should be temporary- MINISTRY Regrettably, after a sustained period of increasing production and distribution of power since September 2017 to date, the Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Ltd (NGPTC) has reported a fire incident on its Escravos Lagos Pipeline System near Okada, Edo State on Tuesday, 2nd January, 2018. The incident requires a shutdown of the pipeline supplying gas to Egbin 1,320MW; Olorunsogo NIPP 676MW, Olorunsogo 338MW, Omotosho NIPP 450MW, Omotosho 338 MW and Paras 60MW power stations. The sudden loss of generation due to interruption in gas supply from these stations caused the national transmission grid to trip off around 20:20 on 2nd January 2018. The national transmission grid is owned and operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Most of Nigeria's power generation is from thermal power stations that require gas for fuel. The gas is produced by oil and gas companies overseen by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. The gas is delivered to the power stations through pipelines owned and operated by Nigerian Gas Processing and Transportation Company Ltd (NGPTC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC). TCN and the generation companies are working to restore operation of the national grid. Once the national grid is restored output from the hydroelectric power stations and all other unaffected gas fired thermal power stations will be increased to the extent possible to minimize the impact of loss of generation from the affected power stations while NNPC takes necessary steps to restore gas supply. We urge members of the public to bear with us as we work to overcome this set back which should be temporary. Signed: MINISTRY OF POWER, WORKS AND HOUSING ...