ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS AND HOUSING, BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA SAN AT THE 27TH MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WOKS
PROTOCOL
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the fourth day of this memorable event of the 27th meeting of the National Council on Works (NCW) being held in Bauchi State.
2. Let me first express my profound gratitude to His Excellency, Senator Bala A. Muhammed CON, the Executive Governor and the entire people of Bauchi State for accepting to host the 27th meeting of the National Council on Works (NCW). This has demonstrated the mutual relationship and peaceful coexistence between the Federal and Bauchi State Government. The Bauchi State, "the Pearl of Tourism" is no doubt the treasure of the Nation considering its many beautiful tourist attraction canters across the State.
3. The theme of this year's Council meeting "Infrastructure Delivery, Maintenance Economy and National Prosperity" was carefully selected to alleviate the problems associated with lack of maintenance of infrastructure being provided by the Federal, State and Local Governments which results to huge money and retard the economy growth.
4. Nigeria like other developing Countries is seriously confronted with inadequate resources for establishment of infrastructure which are essential for National Economic Development. Since the Independence, a large chunk of the country's resources has been channelled to infrastructure constructions including roads infrastructure. However, maintenance culture which encompasses provision for adequate care of hard-earned infrastructure is needed to ensure sustainability of these roads’ infrastructure for national prosperity. Experts have posited that if any nation can imbibe the maintenance culture in every sector of the economy, it will reduce cost and ensure national economic growth. Therefore, provision of adequate road infrastructure with a maintenance backup will no doubt help the government in saving more money to achieve National Economic Prosperity.
5. The highly acquired capital infrastructure is not given adequate maintenance to enable it have a longer lifespan needed to support development efforts and thereby deteriorate to the point of starting afresh. Therefore, acquired infrastructure such as constructed road network, bridges, road signage should be properly managed and adequately maintained to ensure durability and enable them live up to their life span of 20 years of road construction.
6. In prioritizing Maintenance culture in the road network with the goal of improving its 195,500 km road network of which about 60,000 km are paved while 135,000 road networks are un-tarred, the Federal Government and the States need to collaborate together along with investments from International
Finance Institutions and Public Private Partnership intervention in order to achieve the desired goal in Infrastructure Delivery, Maintenance Economy and National Prosperity.
7. Therefore, the 27th Council is expected to provide policy frame work that will sustain concerted and consistent culture of maintenance on the infrastructure on ground and also build in maintenance policy in the future road projects to move the country to the next level.
8. Kindly bear in mind that your recommendations will bear far reaching importance in Nation building and it is my prayer that our Highways will become safer and more comfortable for all and the nation's economy will be revamped and sustained.
9. I urge you to contribute meaningfully to the deliberations here today which will not only enhance improvement in the road infrastructure but will also stimulate world standard maintenance culture in the Nigerian road system.
10. Once again, I wish to express my profound gratitude to the Executive Governor and the entire people of Bauchi State for providing necessary provisions to ensure the hitch free of this year's Council meeting.
11. Thank you all and God bless
