The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called on participants at the Nigerian Institute of Transportation Technology (NITT) to take advantage of the Federal Government’s investment in infrastructure.
Fashola made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, when participants of the institute led by its Director-General, Dr Abimbola Odumosu, paid him a courtesy visit.
He described the enrolment of the participants in the institute as timely, in view of the huge investment in infrastructure by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister said that the investment was already providing employment for Nigerians in the construction sector.
He further said that opportunities were also being created in the transportation and logistics sector.
He said, “For those of you who are combining transportation with logistics, this is a good time for you because our investment will provide work for you.”
Fashola also said that the movement of materials for the second Niger Bridge, Mambila Hydro Power and other ongoing projects from factory to the sites, would provide opportunities for participants of the institute.
According to him, no nation can attain greatness without building its infrastructure.
He regretted that the maximum budgetary allocation for infrastructure by the past administration was N18 billion.
“They have had a whole lot of money with a barrel of crude oil sold for 100 dollars, while in the same year, the budget for Lagos state for roads was N74 billion in my time as the governor of the state.
“Buhari has increased that budget of N18 billion for works to over N300 billion.
“Combining it with power and housing, we are now a ministry with almost half a trillion naira budget,” the minister said.
Earlier, Odumosu said the visit was to expose the participants to the practical realities of the transport and logistics industry as well as its challenges and prospects.
He said that the choice of Abuja for the field study was informed by its strategic location, linking the north to the south and the huge transport activities in the Federal Capital Territory. (NAN)