Hon. Ministers of Works, Defence, and Chief of Army Staff Meet on Areas of Collaboration to Improve Internal Security, Focus on Road Infrastructure as an Important Predictor (COAS) Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja in his office at the Federal Ministry of Works, this 19th January 2024, and the focus was on strengthening collaborations towards improving the nation’s internal security through revolutionalizing road infrastructure development. The Hon. Minister of Works praised the interactive meeting as a Renewed Hope initiative that would add value to the implementation of the security roadmap of the present administration. He commended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for appointing men of proven professional capacities and passion for service delivery to tackle the security challenges facing our country, and expressed hope that with the interventions of Mr. President towards rejiging the nation's road infrastructure, military operations across the nation would assume greater imptetus. " I commend Mr. President very highly, and I thank members of the public who have also supported in different dimensions. Yes, we have discussed certain infrastructure as it concerns my ministry to enhance their performances, and our minds are working together. The main focus of Mr. President, when it comes to road infrastructure, is the interstate routes that are linked to security operations nationwide, the palliative jobs, and the roads that are linked to markets, industries, and factories etc. And so, this is one of the mandates that Mr. President has given to us. And so, we are going to hasten this mandate and to ensure that the desire of Mr. President, as far as road infrastructure is concerned, is achieved" "Road is everything. If you improve the roads, you have improved security, agriculture, education, and commerce, and you have improved the happiness of people. And this is just what Mr. President is doing. We have started to be in the field to repair over 320 roads that Mr. President directed us to do." Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, the Chief of Army Staff said that the essence of the meeting was to discuss with the Hon. Minister of Works elements of national power support to the military field operations with a focus on the role of infrastructural upgrade in the enhancement of military operations across the country. "We have discussed extensively, and we are glad that the Hon. Minister of Works is disposed to some of the suggestions that we have made on the need to focus on some critical roads that will impact positively on military operations across the country. And so, the Minister of Works has made some promises, and we look forward to seeing activities of contractors and other agents focus in this direction in the field, and the military will support them going forward. Overall, improved security is our objective, and we will continue to pursue that."
...Activities of Contractors to Focus in This Direction
As part of the strategic and holistic security roadmap of the Federal Government under His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Hon. Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr Nweze David Umahi, CON had a closed door meeting with his counterpart, the Hon. Minister of Defence, His Excellency, Mohammed Badaru Abubarkar,CON, and the Chief of Army Staff
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE REVOLUTION UNDER THE RENEWED HOPE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR, WIN -WIN SITUATION FOR ALL STATES - As Benue State Governor visits the Hon. Minister of Works Photo speaks The Renewed Hope administration of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has proven to be a grandmaster of inclusive and impactful governance that embraces the desires of the federating States. The federal government under Mr. President carries along all the States in her road infrastructure development plans. Just recently, the President of Nigeria released funds for the commencement of nationwide palliative interventions on our road infrastructure in addition to the budgetary and extra budgetary funds provided for the execution of the 2024 road projects. The 36 State Governors have been working progressively with the APC led federal government, notwithstanding party affiliations or ideological inclinations, to ensure that roads of socio-economic priority in their States are captured in the infrastructure roadmap of the Federal Ministry of Works. Today, 16th January 2024, the Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Fr. Hyacinth Alia visited the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON in his office. The meeting was obviously not unconnected with the desire of the Governor of Benue State to change the infrastructural landscape of Benue State through tapping into Mr. President’s Renewed Hope infrastructure initiatives across the nation. His Excellency Hyacinth Alia is the second Catholic Priest to be elected as Governor in the history of Nigeria. He emerged victorious in the Benue State Gubernatorial election held on March 18 , 2023, and on Monday, the 8th day of January 2024, the Supreme Court upheld his election and dismissed the appeal of Mr. Titus Uba of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), who was his rival on the 18th March, 2023 poll. He is proudly a member of All Progressives Congress,APC. ...
FG Inaugurates Housing Reforms Task Teams, Urges Commitment to Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing and Urban Development The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, has Tuesday 16th January 2023 inaugurated four (4) Reform Task Teams to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda for Housing and Urban Development. The Task Teams are the Housing Institutions Reform Task Team, Multi-Agency Project Delivery Task Team, Land Reforms Task Team, and the Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs Task Team. In his remarks, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa noted that the Task Teams represent an important step towards delivering on the mandate of the Ministry in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President. He decried the failure of successive governments to implement plans and recommendations put forward by committees in the past, noting that the difference with the present inauguration is the political will of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, his commitment as Minister, and the reputation of the chairmen and members of the Task Teams. "What unites us is the desire for Nigeria to have a vibrant, functional, and efficient housing industry that not only meets the shelter needs of Nigerians but also to unlock the massive potential of the sector for catalyzing inclusive economic growth. Over the 60 years of Nigeria’s independence, we have witnessed successive governments roll out a series of housing development plans and policies. Despite these many plans, our country has sadly failed to meet the housing needs of Nigerians as we still grapple with a huge housing deficit. "Housing sector contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) hasn’t moved in any significant way over the past several decades, housing development institutions are still only functioning at sub-optimal capacities, and the enabling housing laws are obsolete", he said. Arc. Dangiwa noted that the President has demonstrated that housing is a part of his priorities towards actualizing his vision of creating a $1 Trillion economy by demerging the Ministry from the Ministry of Works and appointing built professionals to lead it, adding that the Task Teams are a major foundational step necessary to implementing the historic reforms for actualizing the Presidential vision. "The Task Teams have been carefully constituted to include all relevant stakeholders, such as agencies of government, professional and regulatory bodies, the academia, industry experts, traditional rulers, and other groups. The goal is to tap from the wealth of knowledge and experience of these relevant sectors and individuals and come up with strategies that are inclusive, wholesome, and can stand the test of time. While he acknowledged the skepticism that often accompanies such Teams due to past failures and public mistrust, he assured that the chairmen and members of the Teams are individuals of character who have exhibited professionalism, result-oriented leadership, and distinguished service in their various fields. "I am confident that they will deliver, and the deliverables will form the foundation for a strong and vibrant housing and urban development sector", he said. The Housing Institutions Reform Task Team is expected to develop a robust framework for ensuring that housing agencies under the supervision of the Ministry are optimized to deliver effectively on the Renewed Hope Vision for the provision of quality, decent, and affordable homes to Nigerians. This includes a thorough review and facilitation of necessary legislative amendments of relevant housing industry laws including the National Housing Fund (NHF) Act,1992, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) Establishment Act, 1993, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Act,1973, and PenCom Act to allow for increased investment in housing. The Team will also map out strategies for driving the nationwide adoption and passage of the model mortgage foreclosure law in States. On their part, members of the Multi-Agency Project Delivery Task Team are saddled with the responsibility to ensure that all housing agencies under the supervision of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development work collaboratively towards optimizing their strengths to deliver decent and affordable housing to Nigerians, by removing the bottlenecks that hinder effective collaboration between the Ministry and housing agencies. The Minister said part of its Terms of Reference includes developing a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for the construction of 50,000 new houses per year. The Land Reforms Task Team, on the other hand, is tasked with developing a blueprint that will aid the sustainable implementation of much-needed reforms necessary for streamlining land administration and ensuring easy, cost-effective, and efficient access to land in Nigeria, drawing from the extensive work of the Presidential Technical Committee on Land Reforms (PTCLR) which has been working for the past 14 years towards comprehensive reforms including the establishment of a National Land Commission. The fourth is the Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs Task Team which is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the current state of the building materials manufacturing sector in Nigeria, including existing facilities, capacities, and key players, as well as identify challenges and opportunities within the sector. The result will be a blueprint that will ensure sustainable implementation of reforms for the sector and the establishment of building materials manufacturing hubs in each of the six (6) geo-political zones across the country. Delivering the vote of thanks, the Minister of State, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo urged the Task Teams to take the job as a call to national service to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the initiatives. The leaders of the Teams were handed the Terms of Reference for each team and urged to work within the stipulated timelines for the speedy actualization of the deliverables. ...
Minister Of Works and His Finance Counterpart Jointly Inspect Abuja- Kaduna- Zaria- Kano Highway, Brainstorm with Julius Berger Nigeria Plc on Strategies and Milestones for Delivery of The Project Within a Record Time In keeping with the Presidential innovations on inter-ministerial coordination, cooperation, and collaboration in the tackling of sectoral problems under the Renewed Hope administration of His Excellency, Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Hon. Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen.Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON and his counterpart, the Hon. Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Adebayo Olawale Edun, were on inspection visit to Abuja – Kaduna -Zaria-Kano Highway on 12th January 2024. The dual carriageway which has been a source of concern to road users because of the many dilapidated spots and security challenges, was awarded to Julius Berger Plc but could not be completed because of security and funding challenges. But the administration of Mr. President views the road as very critical for the socio-economic advancement of the nation and is therefore committed to completing the project on a record time. While brainstorming on strategies and milestones for fixing the road, the Hon. Minister of Works assured the contractors that funding would not be a problem going forward. "We have got a commitment from the Honourable Minister of Finance to make payment, and I am very sure if we pay Julius Berger Plc according to the commitment on funding, it will complete the job “ The Minister also said “we have issues of reviewing the contract sum, and we will sort that out. We sent our technical team to reexamine the sub grade, which will be the basis of our redesign, let me emphasis that this is the first project we are touring in this place, and Mr President in his Renewed Hope Agenda has expressed his deep concern on the completion of the project and he has directed that everything must be done to get the entire project completed” On his part, the Hon. Minister of Finance assured of the unwavering commitment of the Federal Government in the timely funding of the project in line with the agreed milestones. “Under the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are both here on inspection to hear the commitment of the contractor handling the project and to support them, to as soon as possible complete this all-important reconstruction of the Abuja- Kaduna - Zaria - Kano Road.” The finance minister described the works sector as one of the most strategic sectors that will add value to the economic development agenda of Mr. President and would always be given priority attention. "We want to urge the contractor to do more.Infrastructure is a critical priority of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is how we can get food prices down. Through transportation and easy transportation of agricultural products, we want to move freely across the country. To bring down the prices and inflation,we will be doing more on the funding. " On the inspection team includes directors from both Ministry of Works and Finance, Managing Director Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr Dr Lars Richter who conducted the two ministers round the projects and several other stakeholders. ...
REVIEW OF SALES OF HOUSES UNDER NATIONAL HOUSING PROGRAMME
New Permanent Secretary Works Yakubu Kofarmata Assures of Innovation to Achieving Renewed Hope Agenda
The newly deployed Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Works has given assurance that subsequent new innovations in the Ministry shall be geared towards achieving Mr. President's Renewed Hope Agenda in infrastructural development, especially in road construction and rehabilitation for ease of doing business in all sector of the Nigerian Economy. He made this remark after signing and receiving the hand over notes in the Ministry. The new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Works Mr. Yakubu Kofarmata, was extremely glad to be back to the Ministry, haven served preiviously in the Ministry as an Asst. Director.
He was Particularly delighted seeing a good number of female leaders and architects still present, adding that it was an indication that the Ministry of works is a place that can bring the needed change in the country.
Mr YAKUBU KOFARMATA said in his words “I come here as a brother, friend and colleague and so we have to work together to help the President as well as the Honorable Minister to achieve all that they have spelt out in their agenda”.
Kofarmata further expressed optimism that his leadership would be a new beginning that would bring about innovation for the Ministry and the Country at large.
REMARKS BY THE HON. MINISTER OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, ARC. AHMED MUSA DANGIWA AT THE INAUGURATION OF REFORM TASK TEAMS FOR THE ACTUALISATION OF THE RENEWED HOPE AGENDA FOR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE NAF CONFERENCE CENTRE, ABUJA
Protocols
Thank you.
MINISTER OF WORKS AND HIS FINANCE COUNTERPART JOINTLY INSPECT ABUJA- KADUNA- ZARIA- KANO HIGHWAY, BRAINSTORM WITH JULIUS BERGER NIGERIA PLC ON STRATEGIES AND MILESTONES FOR DELIVERY OF THE PROJECT WITHIN A RECORD TIME
Hon. Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen.Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON and his counterpart, the Hon. Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Adebayo Olawale Edun
OFFICIAL INAUGURATION OF HOUSING SECTOR TASK TEAMS BY THE HON. MINISTERS OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
L-R, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Marcus O. Ogunbiyi; Minister of Housing and Urban Development. Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa; Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo, MD/CEO Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Sen. Gbenga B. Ashafa; Chairman Building Materials Manufacturing Hubs Task Team, Arc, Nuhu Wya