Fashola explains what Buhari means by lifting 100m Nigerians out of poverty

Babatunde Fashola

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said President Muhammadu Buhari was right when he said this administration would raise 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years.

Fashola who used the various economic activities in the sector to explain the impact of the sector on the economy and lives of Nigerians, said the people are the ultimate beneficiaries of the economic outcome of the All Progressives Congress-led federal government in all sectors.

According to him, contractors have reported a 40% rise in adjoining properties to the road.

Fashola said this at the Inaugural edition of the PMB administration Scorecard 2015 – 2023 series in Abuja.

Fashola said these increases in value, contributed to those being raised out of poverty.

He also pointed out that the save in travel time, which averaged 56% was the increase in the value of products being transported and improved the finances of their respective traders who are also part of the 100 million people lifted out of poverty

He said when the President said he was committed to lifting Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, such activities lend credence to it.

“President Buhari’s commitment to infrastructure as an economic tool is working. Average journey time reduction has been reduced from what you used to do for two hours, to one hour and now, that goes into production.

How that translates into, well, maybe one extra hour before we get out of the money. So when the President says he believes that Nigeria can lift people out of poverty in Ten years, people expect that Buhari is going to give everybody a job.

“A policy of use to save 56% of the time is time available for other productive engagement. So the way I understand it, from time to time it is also cost savings. So we have reduced the cost of travel.

“We are solving almost exactly the cost of travel expense of course there are inflationary tendencies now that have eaten into some of those things. But this is a way in which to understand the link between infrastructure and economy and quality of life.

“Everywhere we have beautiful houses, projects or whatever the value of land has gone up that is not us. Who gets the money and keeps it? he asked.

Fashola answered himself and said “Nigerians who own these lands” benefit.

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