The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, says Federal Government will tackle the problem of youths unemployment and poverty through infrastructure development.
Fashola made the remarks on Thursday while inspecting some ongoing Federal Government road projects in Osun.
The minister spoke through Mr Hezekiah Kehinde, the Controller of Works in Osun.
According to him, in Osun alone, more than 10,000 people are currently being engaged under direct employment in the construction projects in the state.
Under the indirect labour, the minister said that more than 30,000 people were also engaged in all the ongoing projects in the state.
Fashola said, “This is part of the Federal Government efforts at eradicating unemployment and poverty among people in the country.’’
He said the same employment generation through massive road construction projects was also ongoing in all the states of the federation.
The minister said that the Federal Government was currently embarking on N113 billion emergency repairs and major road construction projects in the state.
He said most of the roads were in a deplorable condition before the intervention of the Federal Government.
On the ongoing Osogbo-Iwo 54 kilometres emergency road repairs, Fashola said that government spent N495 million on phase one, N256 million on phase two and N221 on phase three.
He also said that the ongoing Ipetu-Ijesa-Apoti-Ondo boundary emergency repairs would cost government N759 million.
Fashola also said that government had awarded Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road dualisation project at a cost of N79 billion.
He said Ife-Mayfair-Lagere dualisation will cost N 9 billion, while Gbongan-Iwo Road will cost N9 billion.
Fashola also said that Osogbo-Ilesa Road project would cost N3.3 billion, Gbongan-Iwo Road to cost N9 billion, among other ongoing projects.
“All these road projects are part of dividend of democracy and what government is doing is to make sure that it improves the livelihood of the people.
“The road construction will also boost socio-economic activity as well reduce road mishap as well as robbery on the road,’’ the minister said. (NAN)
