The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, recently underscored the need for a substantial financial injection of $35 billion from the Federal Government to kickstart an ambitious concrete road construction project spanning the entire nation. This revelation came to light during a collaborative meeting with the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaib Audu, held at the Ministry of Works headquarters in Abuja.
The primary focus of the meeting was to engage in a comprehensive brainstorming session on leveraging the immense opportunities presented by the Ajaokuta Steel Plant for the development of concrete road infrastructure in Nigeria. Umahi emphasized the pivotal role that the dormant Ajaokuta steel company could play in the nation’s road infrastructure development plan, asserting that it could provide more than 16% of the materials required for the construction of concrete pavements on Nigerian roads.
This significant disclosure was reported by the Chief Press Secretary of Umahi, Orji Uchenna, in a press statement released on Tuesday. The statement, available on the Ministry of Works’ website, highlighted the collaborative efforts of both ministries in executing the Federal Government’s action plans for national development. The envisioned collaboration not only aims to create employment opportunities and generate wealth for Nigeria’s population but also to open up global market prospects and foster industrialization.
Umahi expounded on the funding strategy for this ambitious project, acknowledging the need for a substantial financial commitment. “We need a lot of money to start, but we decided to face it and God has given us an idea; we need about $35 billion to start,” Umahi explained. Recognizing the potential challenges in waiting for federal funding, he proposed exploring commercial bank financing, subject to endorsement by the Federal Executive Council. Umahi emphasized that this initiative aligns with the President’s commitment to actualizing promises and could pave the way for successful implementation.
In addition to the financial aspect, Umahi shed light on the intricate plan for restarting steel production at the Ajaokuta Steel Plant. Minister Audu, from the Ministry of Steel Development, shared details of the government’s intention to resume steel production at the plant, emphasizing its pivotal role in providing a substantial quantity of steel wrought for the ambitious plan to develop over 30,000 kilometers of roads nationwide.
Audu described the collaboration between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Steel Development as a vital step toward realizing the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. He articulated the focus on generating economic benefits, revenue, and employment opportunities, including thousands of direct jobs for both skilled and non-skilled technicians, along with hundreds of thousands of unskilled jobs across Nigeria.
According to Audu, the collaboration aims to achieve several key objectives, including creating job opportunities for Nigerians, revitalizing the corridor around the North Central Zone and the Ajaokuta-Warri axis, and restarting a plant that has been inactive for almost four decades. The Minister expressed a sense of urgency, emphasizing the need to expedite the process of restarting the Ajaokuta Steel Plant within the shortest possible time.
In conclusion, the collaboration between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Steel Development represents a significant stride toward achieving economic revitalization, infrastructure development, and job creation in Nigeria. The ambitious plan to integrate Ajaokuta Steel Plant into the concrete road construction project underscores the government’s commitment to innovative solutions and the utilization of existing resources for national development.
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