N800 billion won’t improve Nigeria’s awful roads—Umahi

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has criticised the N800 billion allotted to the ministry in the 2025 budget plan as insufficient to address the country’s road infrastructure needs.

Umahi, Ebonyi State’s two-term governor, shared this information on Friday during a 2025 budget defence session conducted by the House Committee on Works.

He requested that the committee consider evaluating the ministry’s budgetary allocation for the fiscal year 2025 and higher.

“Please help us. N800 billion cannot achieve anything for us. It cannot meet our road needs, so we implore you to assist us,” Umahi added.

He encouraged the committee to provide appropriate financing for the ministry to complete ongoing projects and begin work on new projects across the country.

Umahi went on to say that the number of road projects the ministry planned to mend couldn’t be supported from the’meagre budget envelope,’ emphasising that borrowing money to fix the country’s infrastructural needs for the sake of the nation was a step in the right direction.

“When the country is in recession, you must borrow money to create infrastructure. That is how you emerge from a recession.

The infrastructure will operate as a stimulus for economic activity, resolving the issue of hunger. Food vendors will be present, including those who sell sharp sand and gravel.

“Support Mr. President, and let us borrow money to build this infrastructure so that Nigeria can once again be a great nation,” Umahi urged.

The committee’s chairman, Akin Alabi, vowed to invite the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office to explain the rationale behind the ministry’s low budget.