Infrastructure maintenance ‘ll create jobs, reduce poverty – Fashola

Ukpono Ukpong

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said that developing a good maintenance culture for public infrastructural assets will create sustainable long-term employment as well as reduce poverty while the life span and functionality of the public assets will be elongated and improved.

In a lecture delivered on Tuesday in Abuja at the Quarterly Public Lecture Series of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, on the theme,

‘Maintenance Culture: A Panacea for Sustainable Infrastructural Development’ the minister said while maintenance has little to do with culture and everything to do with the economy, if properly developed as an industry, it will create sustainable employment, add values, drive growth and contribute to the national productivity.

He disclosed that due to the enormous infrastructural deficit inherited by the current administration, the President Buhari’s-led government is focusing on maintenance as an economy hence,

his ministry’s decision to formulate the National Public Building Maintenance Policy which was approved on January 9, by the President.

He disclosed that the of the policy will put to an end the rapid deterioration of public buildings, improve their life span and functionality, attract financial benefits to the government on account of the effective management of its asset portfolio

as well as contribute to the sustainable economic growth through massive job creation and employment of Nigerians.

While commending NICO for organising the lecture at a time the nation is working hard to implement strategies for sustainable maintenance of our infrastructural assets,

he disclosed that the ministry under his watch has mapped out a three-year program to assess and develop Maintenance Framework for over forty (40) Ministries, Departments and Agencies.