The Federal Government has embarked on an infrastructure Road Show around the country, featuring information Minister, Lai Mohammed and a coterie of journalists.
With presidential and legislative elections around the corner, the road show aims to highlight the achievements and plans of the Federal Government in infrastructural development.
First on the list of projects recently visited is the light rail connecting Abuja city and the international airport. There, the minister announced the Federal Government’s purchase of 48 coaches to boost passenger traffic on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line.
To underscore emphasis on transport projects, the Minister had visited the site or the first leg of the standard gauge rail from Lagos to Ibadan, designated to decongest the Apapa ports But some critics have said the project when completed would achieve he opposite effect by drawing more traffic to the Apapa ports rather than away for the it.
Second Niger Bridge
Other projects highlighted include the dualization of te Ogbmosho to Oshogbo road; repairs to the Enugu to Port Harcourt highway and the start of the second Niger Bridge at Onitsha.
The second Niger bridge is of immense political importance. It is regarded as a gateway for the West to Eastern Nigeria. South Eastern Nigerians have roundly criticised ex president Goodluck Johnathan for not building it in six years in power, despite the strong support he enjoyed in the area. In the last presidential election, Jonathan scored almost 95% of the South Eastern votes as against 5% for President Buhari. By starting the project, the ruling party wants to show that South Eastern support for the opposition PDP party is misplaced.
Special Development Fund
Budgetary provision for new infrastructural development is nearly N200 billion. In the rainy season and with only 4 months to go to year end, can this amount be spent at all?
The Federal Government’s answer to to this question is a plan to transfer the money to a special development fund. Can that be achieved in the current climate of chaotic crisis in the relationship with the legislature?
Infrastructural Bottlenecks
Developmental economists have also expressed dismay at the absence of any mention of plans to address the two pressing infrastructural in the country – epileptic power supply of only 4,000 megawatts compared to about 50,000 in South Africa and the very expensive policy of refining Nigeria’s crude oil abroad instead of in refineries in Nigeria.
