By Haruna Salami
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has disclosed that his Ministry has proposed private sector-led roads infrastructure project that will attract over N130 billion investment and 48,000 employment in the first phase.
He disclosed this Wednesday during a consultative meeting with the joint Senate and House Committees on Works and Housing at the National Assembly, NASS in Abuja.
According to him, the proposal is to commence with the first of 2,000 kilometres or six percent of the 35,000 roads, covering 10 routes in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Speaking with journalists after his presentation to the joint committee, Fashola said, “I think that from all their reactions, there is clear enthusiasm about the proposal in terns of opportunities it offers to investors, employment, asset building.
“We want to start with only six percent of the whole road network. The investment that we expect to see is in the order of over N130 billion, if it succeeds. We expected to see 48,000 jobs from construction to maintenance, retail, vending, etc.
“There are many sectors that will be impacted: rest houses, ware houses, weigh bridges, signages, advertising, fueling, vehicle maintenance, vehicle towing, etc. I think it was well received,” he said.
Fashola said the Ministry had consulted and “incubated the idea after many months” and finally decided to interface with the legislative arm.
However, some members of the joint committee, under the chairmanship of Senator Ademu Aliero expressed some reservations, which Fashola described as “legitimate concerns” about success of previous private sector involvement in the management and utilisation of government assets.
On the 25th June, 2020 they will have web conference as part of the consultative process that will present new set of eyes and minds.
“We expect to hear from all of those who will invest, operate and who will be affected by it before we close the process”, Fashola concluded.
