The Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola has disclosed that the All Progressive Congress, APC, administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari was undertaking 21 road projects in Kano State.
Mr. Fashola, who made the disclosure when he paid a courtesy call on the Governor of the State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the Kano State Government House, revealed that the Federal Government was also executing housing projects that have reached the third Phase in the state.
According to the Minister, ” At the moment we are undertaking 21 roads projects at the Federal Government level in and around Kano State totalling about 960 kilometres and some of the more famous ones are: Kano – Abuja Highway, Kano – Katsina, Kano – Maiduguri and a host of others.”
Fashola also revealed that his Ministry has completed Phases 1 and 2 of the National Housing Programme in Kano State and had proceeded to Phase 3.
He added that President Muhammadu Buhari had given the approval for the handing over of the houses to members of the public and the exercise will be conducted by the Ministers from the various states on behalf of the President.
While expressing deep appreciation for the cooperation given to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing by the Kano State Government, he called on the members of the State Cabinet to encourage the indigenes and residents of Kano State to subscribe to the housing units through the portal that had been opened for interested home applicants.
He added that the Federal Government expected that Kano people would be the heaviest subscribers to the houses in the State.
In his remarks, the Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who was visibly pleased by the visit of Mr. Fashola, acknowledged the massive Infrastructural development undertaken by the Federal Government in the State in the road, housing, railway, and aviation sectors.
The Governor listed the railway network connecting Lagos – Ibadan – Kaduna – Kano, the ones between Kano Jibia and Maradi, Kano – Dutse, and the substation at Kazaure in addition to the road projects executed as well as the work on the international wing of the Aminu Kano international airport which he described as comparable to those in world capitals as some of the ways in which the Buhari administration had impacted positively on Kano state.
Ganduje said, ” Mr. President is making Kano not only the commercial nerve centre of the northern part of the country but the commercial nerve centre of some West African Countries.”
He hinted that the State Government would soon introduce a mass transit system and requested the Federal Government for lay byes and bus stops along some major roads in the State.
The Governor also disclosed that the State Government had earmarked the sum of 2 billion naira for the establishment of weighbridges in the three main entrances to the State in order to protect the roads within the metropolitan city of Kano and therefore sought approval from the Federal Government to execute the project.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, and commissioners were among those that received the Minister. On the Minister’s entourage were Directors of the Ministry, Special Assistants to the Minister, and Federal Controllers of Works and Housing in Kano state.
