N800bn Insufficient To Address Nigeria’s Road Infrastructure Needs – Umahi
By Juliet Vincent
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has described the N800 billion allocated to his ministry in the 2025 budget proposal as inadequate to address the country’s road infrastructure needs.
Umahi made this known on Friday during the 2025 budget defense session organized by the House Committee on Works.
He appealed to the committee, chaired by Akin Alabi, to consider increasing the Ministry’s budgetary allocation for the 2025 fiscal year.
“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 emphasized 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 also responded to questions from committee members on the state of roads nationwide and reiterated the government’s commitment to completing ongoing road projects.
The Chairman of the Committee, Akin Alabi, promised to summon the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office to explain the rationale behind the ministry’s low budget allocation.
