The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has highlighted the insufficiency of the ₦800 billion allocated to the Ministry of Works in the 2025 budget. Speaking at a budget defense session with the House Committee on Works, Umahi emphasized that the current allocation falls far short of addressing Nigeria’s extensive road infrastructure needs. He called on lawmakers to increase the ministry’s budget and support President Bola Tinubu’s vision for national development.
Umahi passionately urged the Committee to consider borrowing funds to tackle the nation’s infrastructure challenges. “₦800 billion cannot address our road needs. Infrastructure is the catalyst for economic growth, creating jobs for food sellers, sand suppliers, and gravel producers. Let’s borrow money and invest in infrastructure to make Nigeria great again,” he stated.
In response, the Committee chairman, Akin Alabi, assured that the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office would be summoned to discuss the rationale for the low budget allocation. The call for increased funding underscores the critical role of infrastructure in driving economic recovery and alleviating hunger across the nation.