Godsent Ogbebor
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has criticized the N800 billion allocated to the ministry in the 2025 budget proposal, calling it insufficient to address the country’s road infrastructure needs.
Umahi, a former two-term governor of Ebonyi State, made the remarks during a budget defense session hosted by the House Committee on Works on Friday. He urged the committee to consider increasing the allocation to meet the growing demands for road development across the country.
Umahi stated that the N800 billion would not be enough to address the country’s road infrastructure challenges and called for an increase in the budget to meet the ministry’s needs.
The minister emphasized that the current allocation would not be sufficient to fund the completion of ongoing road projects or initiate new ones. He called on the committee to provide adequate funding for the ministry to address the pressing infrastructural needs.
Umahi also argued that borrowing was necessary to address the nation’s infrastructure challenges. He explained that during a recession, borrowing funds to invest in infrastructure is a critical step to stimulate economic activities and help the country overcome its economic difficulties.
He pointed out that investing in infrastructure would serve as a catalyst for economic activities, which in turn would help combat issues like hunger. Umahi urged the government to support the idea of borrowing to fund infrastructure projects, believing it would contribute to Nigeria’s growth and prosperity.
In response, the chairman of the committee, Akin Alabi, assured the minister that the committee would summon the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office to provide clarification on the reasoning behind the ministry’s low budget allocation.
