Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said the N800 billion allocated to his ministry in the 2025 budget proposal is inadequate to address the country’s road infrastructure needs.
Umahi stated this during the 2025 budget defense session with the House of Representatives Committee on Works.
He appealed to the Hon. Akin Alabi-led committee to consider increasing the ministry’s budgetary allocation for the 2025 fiscal year.
“We plead with you to help us. N800 billion cannot do anything for us. It cannot address our road needs, and so we plead with you to help us,” Umahi said.
He stated further that the scope of road projects the ministry aims to undertake cannot be achieved with the meagre budget allocation, highlighting that borrowing funds to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit is crucial for the nation’s progress.
“When the nation is in recession, you have to borrow money and invest in infrastructure. That is how you emerge from a recession. Infrastructure is a catalyst for economic activities, and this hunger we talk about will become a thing of the past.
“Food sellers, sand suppliers, gravel workers, and others will benefit. Support Mr. President, and let’s borrow money to build infrastructure so Nigeria can be great again,” Umahi said.
Chairman of the committee, Alabi, promised to summon the Minister of Finance and the Head of the Budget Office to explain the rationale behind the ministry’s low budget allocation.
