FG, India partner to address infrastructure development
The federal government has concluded plans to partner India in order to boost infrastructure development in the country.
This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Mustpha Shehuri.
Shehuri, who made this known in Abuja when the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Abhay Thakur, paid him a courtesy visit, said that the federal government has recorded remarkable achievements in road, power and housing sectors of the country since its inception in 2015.
The minister recalled that in 2015, power generation in the country was about 3,000 mega watts, but the policies of the Buahri administration had improved generation and transmission to about 7,000 megawatts.
“We are now battling with the distribution chain and as you know, the chain has been privatised although government still has 40 per cent of the shares. Distribution is the weak link in the chain and the federal government is doing all it can in terms of policy to ensure that the distribution is strengthened,” he said.
The minister said that the federal government inherited a decayed road sector with budgetary provision of about N15 billion in 2015, adding that the first budget of Buhari administration in 2016 allocated over N270 billion to the road sector.
“Apart from the budgetary allocation, there are other areas that government has been exploiting to fund road projects. Truly speaking, government alone through its budgetary provision cannot fund road projects.
“The government is looking at ways to partner with the private sector to build roads and provide affordable houses to Nigerians. These are areas the government of India and Nigeria will work together for the benefit of Nigerian citizens,” he asserted.
Responding, Thakur said the visit was to congratulate Nigerians for the successful and peaceful conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He said India has projects worth over $100 million in Nigeria in the power sector under the Developmental Cooperation Programme.
The high commissioner commended the federal government for the opportunities given to the government and people of India in the development of Nigeria’s infrastructure.
