- He stressed the need for adequate funding to complete ongoing road projects and initiate new ones nationwide
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has criticised the N800bn allocated to his ministry in Nigeria’s proposed 2025 budget, describing it as insufficient to meet the country’s road infrastructure needs.
Speaking on Friday during a budget defence session before the House Committee on Works, the former Ebonyi State governor urged lawmakers to increase the ministry’s funding.
“We plead with you to help us. N800bn cannot do anything for us. It cannot address our road needs,” Umahi said.
He stressed the need for adequate funding to complete ongoing road projects and initiate new ones nationwide. The minister argued that relying on a modest budget allocation would hinder progress, calling for alternative financing options, including borrowing, to address the country’s infrastructure deficit.
“When the nation is in recession, you have to borrow money and invest in infrastructure. That is how you come out of a recession,” Umahi explained. “Infrastructure is the catalyst for economic activities, and it will alleviate hunger by creating jobs in sectors like food, construction materials, and more.”
The Minister appealed to lawmakers to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration by approving additional funds to revitalise the nation’s infrastructure and boost economic growth.
In response, the committee’s chairman, Akin Alabi, assured Umahi that the panel would summon the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office to justify the ministry’s low budget allocation.
The budget proposal has sparked concerns as Nigeria grapples with a pressing need for improved road infrastructure to support economic activities and alleviate poverty.
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