By Sarauniya g Usman,Abuja
Experts in the Built Environment have lauded the Federal Government’s strides in increasing the infrastructural stock in the country.
The experts made the observation in separate interviews with Newsmen on Yesterday in Abuja.
Fellow, Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers,
Mr Sharafadeen Olumo, said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari had done very well in the area of infrastructure.
“Rating this government in infrastructure provision, they have done well, infrastructure that the government met uncompleted or even unattended to, that they took the bull by the horns and they took it up.
“Today, the 2nd Niger Bridge is being completed, kudos to the current government.
“As far as I am aware, the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway also is almost completed, the rail infrastructure has been given a serious boost within this administration.
“These are plus for this administration in terms of infrastructure positions, they have really tried.
“If the quantum of what they have done within the period that they did had been achieved in the previous years, we would have gone far beyond where we are currently.
“So, I think I would score the government a pass mark, it is just that it is not enough and they can still do more because there is room for improvement.”
Olumo, however, kicked against the slashing of the budget for the Ministry of Works and Housing saying that it was uncalled for, looking at the infrastructural deficit in the country.
“We need more financing in the sector rather than deduction because of the population growth.
“There is no corresponding growth in infrastructure and as a result, the ministry would have needed more.
“I think the major solution to infrastructure gap is to create a kind of independent infrastructure funding by the government.
“I could remember during the time of Abacha, when there was the PTF, our current president was in charge of PTF during that period.
“Some percentage of money was saved from the oil sales, and it was meant to solve some particular challenges majorly infrastructure.
“I can assure you that that would have done far more than even the government would have done.
“So, if we have an independent fund for infrastructure and it is handled by patriotic individuals that would really help in solving our infrastructure deficit, and perhaps the government also can make easy and accessible mortgage loans for citizens.”
Olumo said that funds were got from infrastructure banks, mortgage banks that could give you easy loans that was repayable over a very long time.
He stated that if this was on ground, individuals would be interested in owning their houses and built such houses by themselves without waiting for government to provide such accommodation for them.
Speaking on the 2023 budget for the Ministry of Works,National Chairman, the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) Mr Micheal Akan, said that the government had made transformational investments in infrastructure in the last seven years.
According to him, most of these projects were executed from loans and need to be paid back. Going by this, it is natural for capital projects to slow down, to enable us to meet our loan obligations.
“Countries are currently facing fiscal instability, slow growth, high inflation, and high interest rates, and our economy is not immune to this. Our situation is compounded with low revenues, exchange rate depreciation, and insecurity.
“So, we have to deal with these issues at the same time, especially knowing that a chunk of the budget is for debt servicing.”
The N20.5 trillion for fiscal 2023 year, a large part of it will be financed by borrowing, as a result of the deficit. So, capital projects are affected by all this.