Gov. Nasir El-Rufai Embarks On Urban Renewal

Three years in most states seems too short to witness any meaningful development but on the contrary in Kaduna state, the 3 years of Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai’s administration has midwifed huge sustainable urban renewal strides across the state. The Government’s urban renewal projects in the three senatorial areas (North, Central and Southern) is not a hidden fact.

With over 100 road contracts on-going across the state, under the Infrastructural Renewal Projects of Governor El-Rufai’s administration, it is believed that when completed, Kaduna State would not only wear a new look, but the earlier problems of infrastructural deficits would have been addressed.

During a recent media tour of state projects, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Murtala Dabo said the aim was to open up to the media and the world what the administration has done in three years to bridge the infrastructural gap in the state, but added that resources has been the challenge as there is so much work to be done. “The projects are scattered all over the state” he noted. In Barnawa, Kaduna South, Government has spent over N2B on road infrastructure, of 23.8km of the 78 roads there, 69 roads have been completed, while 9 roads are over 50% completed.

Apart from the states Urban Renewal Project, the Perm Sec, said Government is building 11.6km township roads with drainages across 12 streets in Ungwar Sanusi Kaduna North, which is to be completed in June 2018. In Tudun Wada, he said 20km township roads, have been completed while another 36km in Kajuru Local Government Southern Kaduna are 80% completed. He said there are about 57streets in Tudun Wada, and a 375m road linking the biggest abattoir in Kaduna.

Another road project visited was in Angwan Rimi, where 30 roads are under construction with about 8.3km township roads network. The total cost of the project is about N80 million, 17 out of the 30 roads have been completed, which is being handled by EMBRYO NIG. LTD. The road used to be flooded by River Kaduna, but with roads and drainage structures, it would drain up the water into River Kaduna. “The road has been constructed to provide access roads, and address the flood issues around that area.

There is also the dualisation project at College Road leading to Legislative Quarters, Ungwar Dosa, has a ring road linked to Kudan Road and Sabon Birnin. The road is 2.6km and costs N1.2B, including compensation of houses that were claimed, while the Kudan and Sabon Birnin Road is 2.6km linked to Kawo overhead bridge at a cost of N1.5b. The Perm Sec also disclosed that a Trailer Park under construction at Mararaban Jos is a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement with R and M, “The indiscriminate way Traitors Park on the road, necessitated the construction of the Park at a cost of N2.7billion. Facilities at the Park will include a Hotel, conveniences, Restaurants and a filling station.

Murtala Dabo also revealed that the Kaduna Media Corporation is getting a face lift with a new ongoing project which when completed will be the pride of not just the state but the nation at large.

Another community that has also been given a facelift is the Rigasa Community said to be the biggest ward in the state. The area is 14km long and 8km wide with a population of 3million. City People reliably gathered that over the years the youths in the community constituted themselves into a nuisance committing all sorts of crime, from Rape, Robbery, Unwanted pregnancies etc. In the past 3 years the community has been given a facelift as hitherto, Rigasa had only 3 public schools in the whole community.  In one of the public schools, LEA Lokoja road Rigasa there are over 30,000 pupils in the school and not fewer than 500 pupils in a class. Piqued by the sorry state of public schools in the community, El-Rufai administration embarked on massive construction of classrooms to ease the problems. Right now, we gathered the construction of over 100 classrooms are in progress. The District Head of Rigasa, Tahir Aliyu Idris thanked the government for the various developmental projects going on in the community, like the construction of additional classrooms, rehabilitation of the only government hospital in the area, as well as dualization of a 8km road linking the area to the railway.

Determined to improve the infrastructural challenges in the state, Governor El-Rufai disclosed during the recently concluded 3rd Investment Summit that the state needs about 65billion to fix its challenges. He said the breakdown of the future infrastructural development between now and 2050, including Transportation sector, which will require N8trillion and 5.1billion annually to build 9,006 schools. Other sectors include health system N158billion, water 100 billion, Agriculture 53 billion, while housing units will be developed annually between 2018 and 2050. All these he revealed while unveiling the Kaduna Infrastructure Master Plan.

So far, he said the state has attracted investments, such as the Kaduna Automobile Village, Green Economic Zone, Solar Power Project Dangote – PAN Assembly Plant, Villisco Textile Park and Arfa Dairy Farms and Ranches.

–ASABE NDOMA