Infrastructure

Kaduna Dec.16, 2023: The Northern Governors’ Forum(NGF) after its inaugural meeting  on Friday in Kaduna resolved to collectively fast track regional integration through investment in infrastructure.

Other areas focused by the forum are human capital development, trade, commerce, agriculture, environment, digital economy and cultural exchanges.

Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of  Gombe State, who is also the Chairman of the forum made this known while reading the ten- point communique at the end of the inaugural meeting which held at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House,Kaduna

The forum also resolved to address the environmental challenges affecting Northern Nigeria, which were threatening rural livelihood, pushing farmers into conflict with herders, adding to the general level of poverty and insecurity.

He said they would  also vigorously pursue the collective interest of the North in areas of enhanced security, peaceful coexistence, economic development, youth employment, drug abuse and revitalisation of education at all levels.

The NGF also commended the Federal Government  for its renewed fight against insecurity, menace of kidnapping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism, bedevilling the region.

He said the forum also  resolved to stand united in its commitment to addressing those challenges through enhanced collaboration with security agencies, strengthening local law enforcement,

Yahaya said, “Community engagement, adoption of modern technology and administrative reforms, as well as addressing the root causes of insecurity such as poverty, unemployment and deepening social in-equality.

”It has also received briefing on the activities of  NNDC  by the Group Managing Director and accordingly constituted a committee to review the report of the earlier committee on its operations with a view to repositioning the company for greater productivity and profitability”.

The governor also donated N180m to support the Kaduna State Government  and victims while commiserating with them over the unfortunate incidence of bombing at Tudun Biri community, Igabi LGA

 Yahaya further prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and the speedy recovery of the injured while appreciating the Federal Government for handling the matter well

 According  to the communique, the forum has also resolved to work collectively to ensure that the tragic incident was thoroughly investigated with a view to compensating the victims and taking corrective measures to prevent future occurrence.

The next meeting of the forum is expected to hold  on March 2,2024 .

Abuja, Nov. 17, 2023: Vice President Kashim Shettima has restated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to bridge infrastructure gap through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in the country.

The vice president stated this at the public presentation of two books authored by Malam Yusuf Ali (SAN), the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Osun State University on Thursday in Abuja.

The title of the two books are — Supreme Court and Jurisprudence of the Right to a Fair Hearing in Nigeria and Public Private Partnership: An Essential Guide for Stakeholders.

Shettima, who said that the yawning infrastructure gap in the country was alarming, assured that Tinubu would redefine the meaning and concept of leadership in the country.

The vice president added that the country wouldn’t shy away from taking necessary decisions to attract private sector participation in that regard.

He said according to the estimate of the African Development Bank, Africa as a continent needs a minimum of 170 billion dollars annually by 2025 to overhaul its infrastructure.

He explained that “with two third of that being needed for the entirely new infrastructure and the remaining one third for maintenance, how much do we generate in a year?.

“The highest we have ever generated was 35 billion dollars from oil proceed in 2011. So, we need Public Private Partnership to deliver infrastructure to Nigeria.

“This challenge is a massive opportunity for investment in making funding mechanism such as private public partnership and these are handy with the establishment of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.

“It is an agency charged with the responsibility of superintending and regulating PPP endeavour at the federal level. Many states have passed law to regulate PPPs and established similar agency for that purpose.”

He recalled Tinubu’s legacies as governor of Lagos State, a feat he said the President is set to replicate at the national level in the bid to reposition the country.

“There is, of course, no politician in the country today who can match Tinubu’s experience in both brokering public-private partnership and understanding what must be done to bridge our infrastructure gaps.

“You only need to gaze into the realities of Lagos, before and after his progressive leadership as the governor to realise his spectacular legacy, a skill-set he’s again brought into play to reposition Nigeria as a competitive global player.”

He noted that the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda was built on the realisation of improved infrastructure as critical catalyst for the nation’s economic growth.

Shettima pointed out that the projections of the administration’s sound economic team on revolutionising investment in infrastructure are in tandem with those of its development partners.

He described the two books as an eagle-eyed contribution to the nation’s pursuit of order and development.

He said “the two books authored by one of the most cerebral lawyers of our generation are on the two most relevant topics in our circumstances as a developing nation.

“The Supreme Court and the Jurisprudence of the Right to a Fair Hearing in Nigeria and Public Private Partnership: An Essential Guide for Stakeholders.

“Malam Yusuf Ali is a leading reservoir of legal knowledge, especially with details of his practical interaction and appearances in the apex court.

“History is unlikely to forgive him if he declines to come up with books about his beloved profession.

“The books will be reference materials for our judges, lawyers and law students on the development of jurisprudence of the right to fair hearing.

“His second book on the essential guide to public private partnership is equally timely and handy to government officials, practitioners and other stakeholders. Certainly, I will read this book.”

Earlier, the book reviewer, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, said the book offers an absorbing, interesting and informative insight on Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on the right to fair hearing in Nigeria.

He said that the book was a well-researched study, focusing on the principles of fair hearing as laid down by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

He added that “it is a must-read for not only lawyers and judges, but all stakeholders involved in the justice sector.”

Also, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwola, said “books are not written by many people to make money. This is one of it, but for legacies to be left behind.”

In attendance were the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, among others.

Akure, July 31, 2023: The Ondo State government has announced a 30-year infrastructure development plan, “Ondo 2054’’.

The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Emmanuel Igbasan, said in Akure on Sunday that the plan, designed in collaboration with the UNDP, was for the infrastructural and socio-economic development of all parts of the state.

He said the state’s House of Assembly would legislate over the plan to give it legal backing.

“As a people, we must define a clear path for our progress.

“For a nation to experience progress and development, there must be a clear, strategic and sustainable trajectory, which provides the compass to guide and direct efforts and resources.

“The future we all desire depends on the vision we have; the strength of the foundation we lay and the efforts we make today.

“It is, therefore, against this realisation that the present administration, in compliance with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Law 2017, started the process of charting a clear path.

“The path will address our present day challenges and provide the highway for accelerated development for the next 30 years.

“The core objective of this exercise is to galvanise all citizens and friends of Ondo State to collectively set the policy direction that will optimise our efforts and harness our potentials.

“It is to define the future we want and to channel our energies to catalyse the socio-economic activities that will guarantee a shared prosperity for all, irrespective of the party in power,’’ he said.

Igbasan stressed that Ondo State needed the long-term development plan also for the adequate and accelerated exploration of the natural resources in its 18 local government areas.

“Our development and technical partner, the UNDP, assisted us in conducting the needs assessment throughout the 18 local government areas and trained our technical staff on system dynamics approach.

“Ondo State is ranked as the 7th biggest economy in Nigeria.

“It has tremendous potential to be the giant of Nigeria as the highest producer of cocoa; the largest deposit of bitumen and boasts of arable and fertile land with various vegetation.

“The state is blessed with gold, oil and gas, granite, silica and ceramics, but most essentially it is populated with about six million intelligent, honest and industrious people,’’ the commissioner said.

Igbasan said government would establish a steering committee with which residents and investors could liaise to actualise the project.

Abuja, July 13, 2023: The Federal Government says it remains committed to the success of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects to improve Nigeria’s infrastructure economy and national development.

Mr Michael Ohiani, Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), said this at the second 2023 Public-Private Partnership Consultative Forum (3PUCF) Meeting in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting was hosted and sponsored by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated(MOFI).

MOFI is a corporation vested with the responsibility to manage all federal government investments and assets aimed at unlocking value from the assets managed to drive economic development.

Ohiani said since the inception of the ICRC in 2010, a total of 103 PPP projects had been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He said the projects would bring in private capital investments of almost N11 trillion (approximately 24 billion dollars ) and projected revenue of over three trillion naira ( approximately 38 billion dollars) for the country.

Ohiani listed some projects which had received FEC approval since the last (3PUCF) Meeting held in April 2023 including the Lagos-Ibadan Rail E-Ticketing Concession and the Warri-Itakpe Rail E-Ticketing Concession.

He said others included the 40MW Kashimbilla Hydropower Project, the establishment of the Aviation Leasing Company Concession, and the expansion and development of Snake Island Multipurpose Sea Port.

“Others are on the street park and pay in the FCT, Concession of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the development of Senior Police Officer’s quarters at Ikeja, Lagos.

“Publishing and Marketing of Court Appeal (specialised) Law Report, NIWA Business Processes (E-NIWA), Electronic E-Call Up System at Onne Port and the 700 MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant. ”

Ohiani reiterated the commission’s commitment to continue to build PPP capacity across Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the nation as a whole through the Nigeria Institute of Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership.

The Chief Executive Officer of MOFI, Dr Armstrong Katang, said there was a need to optimise Federal Government-owned assets by providing visibility over what the government owned.

Katang said the partnership between ICRC and MOFI would enable MOFI to maximise value from federal government-owned assets managed by the ICRC.

“We need to work together to ensure the government’s interests are represented and effected correctly in every PPP transaction. That is why MOFI and the ICRC must work together. ”

He said the National Assets Register (NAR), which would be inaugurated soon, would capture all the assets and investments of the federal government in a single window.

According to him, the NAR is a tool that will enhance strategic oversight and management of the nation’s public wealth.

Katang said the benefits of the NAR included an information database, assets classification, debt management, and assets valuation.

He said the assets that would be captured in the registrar included corporate, financial, fixed, intangible, oil and gas, and solid minerals assets.

“I call on all stakeholders to ensure we have visibility over what we own to keep track and learn from concessions we have gone into and correct any mistakes made,” he said.

Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) and Chairman of the meeting, said Nigeria needed to be at par with other countries regarding PPP projects and initiatives.

Yemi-Esan, represented by Mrs Agalasi Ehigie, Director, Infrastructure Management Department, Office of the HCSF, said this was necessary because PPP brought development to the nation.

“It is time to expand our horizon and see how we can put in our best in helping our country move forward because we know that PPP brings a lot of benefits.

“There are also challenges but as we go through the journey, we know we will get better by the day, ” she said.

The forum provides a platform for PPP departments in MDAs and stakeholders to share ideas, success stories, and challenges on their PPP projects to drive economic growth in Nigeria.

Maiduguri, June 29, 2023: Vice President  Kashim Shettima has assured that prompt attention will be given by present administration towards addressing the infrastructural deficits in Nigeria.

Vice President Shettima gave the assurance  when he paid a Salah homage to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Garbai El-Kanemi on Wednesday in  Maiduguri.

Shettima  said that all the infrastructural challenges in the country would be addressed including the Gamboru Ngala, Dikwa and well as Damboa roads in Borno State.

He said  “We went with His Excellency, the Governor to pay homage to the Royal Highness, the Shehu of Borno. He raised some very poignant issues facing the society, especially with regards to infrastructural deficit.

“We conveyed to him the best wishes from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The Shehu talked about issues concerning the roads that should be immediately address, especially the Gamboru Ngala and Dikwa roads. Certainly it would be addressed that of Damboa will also be addressed.”

According to the Vice President ” I am here to assure him (the Shehu) of the maximum support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. All the challenges confronting us, we will survive it as a people.”

In his remarks, the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Engr Babagana Umara Zulum, extolled the virtues of the Vice President as a man of the people, a grassroot politician, adding that being the first visit of Vice President Shettima to the State, “the visit is very important to Borno people and it is a home coming for our son.”

Also in his welcome remarks, the Shehu praised the Vice President of as a worthy son of Borno State, stressing that the love the Vice President enjoyed reflected in the massive support they gave to him.