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There is no cash for 3,300 roads in next year’s budget-Sen. Buhari

Published

6 years ago

November 11, 2019

Many bad federal roads will not be fixed for now due to cash crunch, a senator said at the weekend

The Federal Government cannot fund 3,300 roads that need to be repaired across the country.

Of the 3,800 roads identified as requiring attention, only 500 have been captured in the 2020 budget, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari has said.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Land Transport, said Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), presented the list of 3,800 roads to his committee.

Senator Buhari said Fashola knew that many roads across the country needed serious attention.

He added that budgetary approval was only made for 500 roads.

The Ministry of Works and Housing had the highest figure in the 2020 budget proposal, with N262billion allocated to it, but it is far from what is needed.

Senator Buhari said: “The state of our roads is horrible. If you look at this year’s budget, N260billion has been budgeted for roads in Nigeria, but I must be honest with you, the roads so far are deplorable all over the country

“From the North, West, East and South, it is horrible. But, the money is not enough to do the job that is prioritised.

“Like the Trunk A roads in the Southwest for example – the Lagos to Ibadan, Ibadan to Ogbomosho and Ogbomosho to Ilorin – those are the ones picked. The same thing with the Eastern Bypass in Owerri, South-South and other regions.

“You know in Nigeria, we prioritise and politicise everything. If you pick a particular section, other sections will not look at the benefits that will go to human beings generally and those to enjoy the use; they will say you are biased because you belong to a particular place.

“About five days ago, I was with Fashola and we were discussing the state of Nigerian roads.

“He brought out a list of over 3,800 roads, but the available money can only repair 500 roads and they must be spread and not put in a particular section of the country.

“That is what is happening. I can assure you that, it may take some time, but we will reach there.”

The senator said reports on Fashola’s comments on roads could not be true.

He said: “He (Fashola) has never said that. I was with him five days ago; he even showed me the map and the plottings of their priorities. If he had said that, he won’t show me the map or their priorities. He won’t even tell me we have over 3,000 roads that needed attention.

“The only thing he said to me was that what they met is not what it is now; that they have achieved a lot.

“You will even agree that before January next, the Oyo-Ogbomosho road would have gone very far because it is in the budget.

“What the minister told me was that before next year, he will try and work hard to ensure that the road project advances.

“Several roads need attention. But, with the prioritisation, it will help work.”

Buhari, who represents Oyo North District, fielded questions from reporters after attending a thanksgiving service in honour of Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, representing Ogbomosho North State Constituency.

The service, held at Masifa Baptist Church, Citadel of Glory, Ogbomoso, was attended by former Oyo State Governor Christopher Alao-Akala, Senator Ayo Adeseun and members of the state House of Assembly.

Fashola, at the weekend, said he was misquoted, adding that he did not use the word “exaggeration”.

The minister spoke in Ilara- Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State while inaugurating four privately-funded roads constructed by an indigene and Chairman, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo.

Fashola said the Federal Government would prioritise the roads.

He said he went around the 36 states and could not have said the roads were good.

On being asked by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to resign and apologise over the comment, Fashola said: “I didn’t use the word ‘exaggerated’, I didn’t say that and please go and listen to what I said.”

Fashola reiterated that the Federal Government would not refund any state that rehabilitates or reconstructs federal roads.

He added that the bill for road refund from state governments was on the high side, amounting to N500billion.

Fashola, during his ministry’s budget defence in the House of Representatives, said for Nigeria to meet up with the infrastructural deficit, N10 trillion infrastructural bond was needed.

He said while government was constrained to operate within the current budgetary limits, it has considerably scaled up performance using the Sukuk Bond over which he said government had no allocation control.

“If the N10trillion bond is created, we can draw from it without resorting to the annual budget, but of course with legislative backing to solve our problems once and for all,” he said.

The Minister was been criticised for his statement on the state of federal roads.

While addressing state house correspondents last Wednesday, he said: “You must also be aware that between awarding a contract and mobilising, there is a distance. First, we have to have an agreement between the ministry of works and the ministry of justice. There is also a role that banks play. These are the things I’d like to know as a correspondent, to be able to help me better inform the public.

“Also, building materials, rocks, laterite, quarry, iron rod have to be ordered. Construction companies don’t keep them. The process of blasting rocks requires approval from the ministry of mines and even the office of the NSA (National Security Adviser) to get approval, to get dynamite.

“(On) the problem of some places like Warri/Benin/Sapele road, and the southeast you talked about. First, you have to know that these places don’t stand in isolation. The Niger Delta is the lungs of Nigeria; that’s the rainforest, a high water table area.

“These problems (were) not as pronounced as they are now in January and February. The reason is that is the dry season of the year. This is the rainy season. I know no country that doesn’t face transport challenges in extreme weather. In some places, it is winter and snow; they cancel flights. In some places, it is a typhoon.

“Flood will affect roads. We’ve seen cites submerged. We’ve seen infrastructure blown down in other parts of the world. It’s one world. This is our time to experience it. We want this season to quickly end so that we can go back to work in the dry season.”

The Nation.

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Featured

NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow

Published

3 days ago

November 28, 2025

The Gleamer

By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC

As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.

Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.

Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.

But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.

As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.

Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.

Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.

Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.

As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.

Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.

Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.

As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.

We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”

To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.

To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.

And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.

Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.

The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.

Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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