Federal Government has completed about twenty major road projects in 2022 across the country at the cost of over 444 billion naira.
Minister of Works and Housing Mr Babatunde Fashola announced this during the ministry’s budget defence at the house of Representatives Abuja.
Mr Babatunde Fashola, explained that the priority in the 2023 would be on the completion of strategic road projects which includes the Ilorin-Kabba to Obajana road, Okene-Itobe road, Lagere-Iremo-Erinwu to Ilesha road and the dualisation of Ibadan to May fair junction.
Other projects prioritize in the 2023 budget are the completion of highway bridges particularly the Muratala Muhammad bridge, Nupeku bridge, Marine bridge and Eko bridge.
He further explained that the ministry was currently undertaking a total of 1,642 highway contracts categorised under the special funding mechanisms spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.
The minister who lamented short of funds in executing the projects told the committee that the ministry and its Parastatal have proposed the sum of about 199 billion naira in the 2023 budget to cater for capital, overhead and personnel costs.
He said the decision to prioritize road projects in the 2023 budget was aimed at driving the economy using roads to have access to ports, and major Agricultural producing areas and ease the way of distributing fuel for sustained energy supply to Nigerians.
The minister similarly confirmed that federal government had been in partnership with the NNPC, and Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Tax Credit Scheme Programme to finance some roads identified as critical to the economic development of the country.
COV/TSIBIRI