N800bn Can’t Address Road Infrastructure Needs –Umahi

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said the N800 billion allocated to his ministry in the 2025 budget was inadequate to address the country’s road infrastructure needs.

Umahi who stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Works for the 2025 budget defence session on Friday, appealed to the lawmakers to increase the ministry’s budgetary allocation.

“We plead with you to help us. N800 billion cannot do anything for us. It cannot address our road needs, and so we plead with you to help us,” Umahi said.

The minister emphasised the need for adequate funding to enable the ministry to complete ongoing projects and initiate new ones across the country.

He stated that the scope of road projects the ministry aims to undertake cannot be achieved with the “meagre budget allocation,” highlighting that borrowing funds to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit is crucial for the nation’s progress.

“When the nation is in recession, you have to borrow money and invest in infrastructure. That is how you emerge from a recession. Infrastructure is a catalyst for economic activities, and this hunger we talk about will become a thing of the past.

“Food sellers, sand suppliers, gravel workers, and others will benefit. Support Mr. President, and let’s borrow money to build infrastructure so Nigeria can be great again,” Umahi said.

The minister while responding to questions from committee members on the state of roads nationwide, reiterated the federal government’s commitment to completing ongoing road projects.

The committee’s chairman Hon. Akin Alabi said the panel will invite summon the minister of finance, Wale Edun and director general of budget office, Tanimu Yakubu to justify the low budgetary allocation to the ministry of works.