By, JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON, Kaduna.
Nigeria would be needing huge investment of $3.1 trillion dollars to implement the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan over the next 30 years in providing critical infrastructure for the nation’s development, Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has disclosed.
He read out the alarming figures when delivering a lecture at the 8th Engr. Armiya’u Memorial Lecture and Awards, held at the Arewa House, Kaduna, with the theme ‘Sustainable Infrastructural Development For Economic Growth’ on Saturday.
He said there was the need to properly fund transport infrastructure, to prevent huge deficits.
“Prior 2015, Nigeria allocated 7% of GDP to infrastructure. Even though this is at par with other sub-Saharan African nations, it is grossly inadequate to drive the economy to an acceptable performance level. Especially when compared to countries like Malaysia, and South Africa who allocate 15 to 20% of their GDP to infrastructure,” he said.
He suggested that a way out of the infrastructure deficit would be to engage in Public Private Partnership (PPP) which government would partner the private sector to renovate, construct, operate and maintain facility.
“PPPs provide an opportunity to improve service delivery by allowing both sectors to do what they do best. Government’s core business is to set policy and protect public interest,” he added.
Earlier in his opening remarks, President of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Engr. Otis Anyaeji, said that his society has over the years, drawn the attention of government to the poor state of infrastructure in the country.
“The speedy development of our infrastructure is required to advance our economy and deal with a myriad of social issues. Power, oil and gas installations, steel complexes, roads, bridges, water supply scheme communication, airports and railways are all key aspects of infrastructure required for our advancement,” he said.
