Paucity of funds delaying infrastructural development – FG

The Federal Government has attributed the slow pace in infrastructural development across the country to paucity of funds.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Raji Fashola, made this disclosure in Ilorin on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen at the closing of capacity building workshop for federal controllers of Lands and Housing.

“All of these is about funding, you heard the Minister of Finance and the National Assembly saying we are borrowing too much and that the money is going to capital projects.

“You heard everyone saying we need to increase our revenue base, so, we have to find consensus at where to find money.

“The major problem we have with infrastructural projects is money and sustained funding.

“Those who said we should not borrow must find a way or alternative answer to where we will get the money,” Fashola said.

On possible revocation of DISCOS licences, the Minister said the power to regulate electricity industry belongs to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and not his ministry.

Mr Fashola said the Ministry had given policy direction to NERC and the commission is expected to act in that regard.

The Minister who agreed that there is housing deficit across the globe, said the President Muhammad Buhari led administration is giving priority to housing projects.

“We are completing projects we met and we have started our own, our idea is to design a project Nigerians can accept and afford in terms of providing housing for the people.

“Some of the reasons we still have empty buildings is because the buildings are not acceptable or are not affordable or both to Nigerians,” Fashola said.

The minister who later inspected the Aliara Community Federal Housing Project in Ilorin, said the first objective had been met which is creation of works for contractors.

He said no fewer than 5000 people got employed in the process, either directly or indirectly.

The minister also took a trip to Ganmo and Amayo to inspect a 217 kilometers Ilorin, Omu-Aran and Kabba roads.

The workshop has its theme: Learning and development for greater stature.