Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration will complete the 11.9 kilometers Second Niger Bridge and the 120 kilometers Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The president also assured that key projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) will be completed before handing over power.
He made this known on Monday at the opening of a two-day Mid-Term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat taking place at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja to assess the level of achievement of the nine key priorities of his administration.
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President Buhari expressed delight on the performance of the ministers on the mandate given to them over the past two years to have rendered reports to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the reports according to the president speak of feats attained by his administration.
He listed accomplishments in the areas of infrastructure, transportation, economy, electricity supply, the petroleum industry, among others.
‘‘On transportation, we are growing the stock and quality of our road, rail, air and water transport infrastructure.
‘‘The PIDF projects are also advancing remarkably. These include the 11.9km Second Niger Bridge, 120 km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, 375 km Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Expressway and the East West Road. Most of these projects are expected to be completed within this 2nd term of our Administration,’’ he stated.
On infrastructure, the president noted that his administration has made tremendous progress on railway projects in the country, noting that upgrading of the railway network is being extended with the recent completion of the Lagos – Ibadan line.
‘‘The Itakpe-Ajaokuta rail line has finally been completed and commissioned after 30 years of its conception.
‘‘Work is expected to commence very soon on the Port-Harcourt Maiduguri line and Calabar – Lagos Coastal Line to connect the Southern and Eastern States of our Country. Progress is also being made on the upgrading of our Airports, with the state-of-the-art facilities in line with world class safety standards,’’ he said.
Giving a scorecard on the economy, the President said the nation witnessed three consecutive quarters of growth, after negative growth rates recorded in the second and third quarters of 2020.
‘‘The GDP grew from 0.8% in 2017 to 2.2% in 2019, but declined in the first quarter of 2020, as a result of the downward trend in global economic activities triggered by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
‘‘As at Second Quarter 2021, GDP growth rate was at 5.01%, the highest since the inception of this Administration.”
On national security, the president has given a directive for the construction of a modest military-industrial complex for the local production of weapons to meet some of the requirements of the country’s armed forces.
The complex the president said would address Nigeria’s over-dependence on other countries for military equipment and logistics.
The project is being implemented under the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), a military department responsible for arms manufacture.
He further added that the six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft received recently are being used for training, surveillance, and attack by the military.
‘‘As part of the efforts towards strengthening our national security, we have increased investments in arms, weapons and other necessary equipment; expanded the National Command and Control Centre to nineteen states of the Federation; and established a Nigerian Police Trust Fund, which will significantly improve funding for the Nigeria Police Force.
‘‘We have also approved the sum of N13.3 billion for the take-off of the Community Policing initiative across the country, as part of measures adopted to consolidate efforts aimed at enhancing security nationwide,’’ he stressed.
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