The vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the federal government will continue to implement game-changing infrastructure projects around the country to connect the nation’s economic zones for development.
Osinbajo stated this in Kano State on Monday during a one-day working visit to the state to commission some projects executed by the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s administration.
Osinbajo who spoke at an interactive session with leaders and stakeholders in the state, said most of the signature projects of the administration, including the Lagos-Kano Rail, Mambilla Hydro Plant, Second Niger Bridge, among others, would be completed during the second term of the Buhari administration.
“One of our signature projects is the Lagos-Kano rail, which has gone now as far as Abeokuta, and we are hoping that we will be able to complete the Lagos-Kano rail in the shortest possible time.
“We expect that the infrastructure projects of the Federal Government, including the Mambilla Hydropower plant, the Second Niger Bridge and several others will be completed in our second term. We hope we are able to complete as many as possible before the end of our term,” he said.
He said infrastructure is central to the federal government’s agenda to drive economic development.
“There is no question at all…, infrastructure is key. Infrastructure is key to anything that we intend to do. It is key to resolving most of the pending issues that confront our country, especially the economic issues.
“We need to be able to connect the economic zones of Nigeria. We need to be able to connect the south, the south-south, the southeast, the southwest to the north. All the zones of this country have to be connected in order to realise the economic objectives that we set for ourselves.”
“In a few years, as a matter of fact, in two budget circles, we invested about N2.7 trillion on capital alone, which is the highest in the history of the country despite the fact that we are earning almost 60 per cent less than previous governments,” he added.
Furthermore, Osinbajo said addressing poverty in the country is critical stressing that the federal government “is focused and committed to reversing the situation significantly.”
Referring to Ganduje’s ealier remark on the same issue, Osinbajo Ganduje Osinbajo said “poverty, as the governor pointed out, remains one of the major issues that confront our people. It is the intention of our government to take 10 million people out of poverty every year till the next decade that is taking 100 million people in ten years, out of poverty.
“Now, that may sound ambitious but I must say to you that we are extremely committed towards achieving it and we are extremely focused. This explains why it is that we launched the Social Investment Programmes.
“Any country of our size that does not have a social investment programme or establish a social safety net for its people will be acting irresponsibly. That is the reason why we launched the programme.”
While commending the Kano State government for taking the lead in providing game-changing infrastructural projects and the enabling environment necessary for the economic development of the state, especially in health, education and other sectors, the vice president assured Ganduje of the federal government’s continuous support to states that are complementing national efforts at tackling poverty, providing access to education and health, among others.
At the ground-breaking foundation laying ceremony for the world class Cancer Treatment Centre at the Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Osinbajo commended the state government for taking the lead in aligning to the national cancer control plan of the federal government.
In his remark, Ganduje thanked the vice president for the honour of visiting the state to commission the projects and announced the establishment of the special fund to cater for the needs of indigent patients desirous of treatment at the cancer treatment centre, when completed.
Osinbajo also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Sheikh Qariballah Nasuru Kabara flyover in Shahuci.
