Nigeria To Float $25bn Infrastructure Development Fund, Says Udoma

Nigeria will establish a $25 billion Infrastructure Development Fund to finance projects in the country, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo-Udoma, has said.

Mr. Udo-Udoma said this while receiving the Report of the three-day Pre-Summit Workshop from the Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Summit Group on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the development fund would provide a pool of fiscal resources for long term financing of priority projects.

He said the ministry had developed the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) for accelerated infrastructure development in the country for the next 30 year.

“The fund seeks to raise the stock of infrastructure from the current level of 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the GDP to at least 70 per cent by 2043.

“A total investment outlay of 3.05 trillion dollars will be required for the implementation of NIIMP.

“The investment will be geared towards meetings infrastructure requirements of the major sectors of the economy.

“The NIIMP captured Energy, Transport, Information Communication Technology, Agriculture, Water, Mining, Housing, Social Infrastructure, Security and Vital Registration sectors”, Udo-Udoma said.

He pointed out that the implementation of the NIIMP required collaboration of stakeholders – Federal and State Governments and the private sector – to provide required investments.

“The NIIMP, apart from being a robust framework for infrastructure development, will also serve as investors’ guide, enhance economic growth, and create job opportunities among other benefits”, he said.

Earlier, Abubakar Mahmoud, Chairman, Infrastructure PPP Summit Group, said the group was formed to address deficit in infrastructure and that government alone could not drive the provision of infrastructure.

Mr. Mahmoud said that the concept of forming the group was for private sector to pull resources and expertise together to create framework for PPP dialogue and engagement.

“We have received a lot of support from government agencies, including the ministry”, he said.

Also Speaking, Daniel Gori, a member of the team who presented an outcome of the summit, said that infrastructure was key to reclaiming Nigeria as the biggest economy in Africa.

Gori recalled that Nigeria had lost its first position as the largest economy in the continent to South Africa.

“We know that infrastructure is critical to this; infrastructure deficit is putting a break on Nigeria potential.

“The report focuses on Power, Transport, Agriculture and Health and we have analysed all sectors and ways they can be developed”, he said. (NAN)

Your Pains Will Soon Be Over, Buhari assures Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that they would soon begin to feel the impact of his policies in their lives just as South west governors put forward suggestions on how perceptions of marginalisation could be redressed.

Mr. President spoke at the South West conference of the APC at Ibadan, where the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun charged party members to enlighten the public that effecting change in the polity would take time.

Oyegun noted that 16 years of rot in the economy cannot be reversed in just 15 months.

President Buhari was represented by his political adviser, Senator Femi Ojudu. He said: “You all may well know, the darkest part of the night is the period before dawn. Nigeria’s dawn is about to break. We are determined to turn things around. Change is not easy, but we are not relenting until we achieve a better life for all Nigerians.

The change we advocate will be irrevocable when we are finally done. We just have to change from our old ways of doing things because things cannot be allowed to continue the way they were. Though, things may appear difficult at the moment, it will not be long before Nigerians start deriving the full benefits of the current policies of government which are designed to reposition the country and improve on the prevailing economic situation.”

Speaking further, he said: “Already, there are signs that things are turning round for the better. In the oil and gas industries for instance, investors are showing tremendous interest in building petroleum refineries. In no distant time, the issues of fuel scarcity will become a thing of the past.”

Today in Nigerian History: 15th August

On this day in 2015;Zambian President, Edgar Lungu  lauded the business ingenuity of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote saying his business expansion across Africa is worthy of emulation by African businessmen in the task of continental development.

Also on this day in 2015;NATIONAL  Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, was taken aback when a middle aged man identified as Christopher Anirah, who was presumed  dead,  made  a surprise appearance to testify before it.

Anirah, was subpoenaed by the tribunal to give evidence in an  election petition matter between Hon. Gibson Ighofose Akporehe of the All Progressives Congress, APC,  and Hon. Evelyn Omavowan Oboro, of the  Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, told the tribunal that his death certificate was allegedly forged by the APC House of Representatives candidate.

Meanwhile, Hon Evelyn Oboro, in her preliminary objection, asked  the tribunal to dismiss Akporehe’s petition for lack of  merit, saying it is an abuse of court process. Akporehe who is the candidate of APC in Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie federal constituency in the 2015 election, through his counsel, Mr  Charles Umweni, had told the tribunal that the witness he intends to call (Anirah)  cannot come to the tribunal to testify, claiming that he died after suffering a cardiac attack. But, at the resumed hearing of the matter, yesterday, in Asaba, somebody who claimed to be Anirah stormed the tribunal and stepped into the witness box to give evidence when the chairman of the three-man tribunal panel, Justice Adebukole Banjoko, called out the name.

The sudden appearance of the said Anirah  created commotion in the tribunal  as  the bewildered  audience started shuffling and murmuring in low tones over the appearance of a ‘dead man’ in court, prompting  Justice Banjoko to call for calm.

And on this day in 2014;Former President Goodluck Jonathan stressed the need for a revolutionary expansion of the oil and gas industry for the country to become the leading African nation in the sector.

He said: “The nation’s gas known to be of much quantity than oil, when maximally utilised, will not only boost the economy and create employment, but will to a very large extent, reduce cases of gas flaring to its barest minimum by 2020.”

Tosyn Bucknor is a year older today

Yay! Tosyn Bucknor is a year older today!

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Nollywood Meets Media July edition

Tosyn Bucknor is an actress, radio presenter, singer, songwriter and a writer.

Tosyn graduated from the University of Lagos where she studied law. She has won many awards including the Nigerian Broadcaster's award, Future Awards, Exquisite Lady of the year and others.

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She has featured in soaps like, "Now We Are married", "Tinsel" and a couple of others.

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Tosyn Bucknor at her wedding

 (Instagram/Gbemioo)

The OAP celebrated her birthday today on her Instagram page writing, "Happy New Year Tosyn!!!!!!"

Happy birthday to the celebrant!

The Hunky Pat Attah

This week's man crush is veteran actor, Pat Attah! Pat, real name Patrick Uchenna Attah, is an actor and musician from Anambra state.

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Pat Attah

 (misspetite)

One of Nollywood's lover boys of the 90s and early 2000s, Attah made his movie debut in the movie, "Glamour Girls" produced in 1994.

As a musician, Attah has performed in several reggae concerts in Germany where he lives.

Although, he graced our TV screen ions ago, Attah has been busy doing well for himself in Germany and recent photos show he is still a heartbreaker.

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Pat Attah

Some of the movies he has featured in includes, "Be Not Afraid" "After The Marriage", "Spirit Of Love" and others.

Tosyn Bucknor is a year older today

Yay! Tosyn Bucknor is a year older today!

play

Nollywood Meets Media July edition

Tosyn Bucknor is an actress, radio presenter, singer, songwriter and a writer.

Tosyn graduated from the University of Lagos where she studied law. She has won many awards including the Nigerian Broadcaster's award, Future Awards, Exquisite Lady of the year and others.

play

She has featured in soaps like, "Now We Are married", "Tinsel" and a couple of others.

play

Tosyn Bucknor at her wedding

 (Instagram/Gbemioo)

The OAP celebrated her birthday today on her Instagram page writing, "Happy New Year Tosyn!!!!!!"

Happy birthday to the celebrant!

Eccentric star glorifies pregnant women

Media personality Charly Boy has written an article celebrating pregnant women. The singer takes time to highlight how special and sexy they are with their baby bumps.

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Charly Boy

 (Instagram)

He also revealed he fell more in love with his wife Lady Diana, each time she was pregnant as she glowed more and was a lot sexier.

According to him, pregnant women should be handled with care and pampered by their men.

He wrote,

"My Sexy Pregnant Wife.

I remember back in the days, when I was in the baby making business. I always admired, loved, pampered and overprotected my wife, more. That’s how come I was witness to the birth of our last two girls, (now grown ass women). Yea, I loved her more each time I gave her a Big Bang belly. She glowed more, in my eyes she was sexier,(still is). Don’t know about you, but there is something sexy about pregnant women that always suggests that they should be treated and handled with tender, loving, care. They are not only  special but sexy as well.

I loved to watch her body change, her hips become wider, her butt grows bigger, her boobs become fuller, her belly is exciting, her navel is sensual; she is pleasant to look at, a full woman. Hey! hold whatever thought is brewing in your head. This was some 26yrs ago, wish we had IPhones then, I would have shared her pictures with you. She was sexy gaga. No be yoke!

Some women are unlovable when they are pregnant. Forget the ones who are forming self-reliant because this pushes the man away making him irrelevant. Some men too can be an ass when it comes to taking care of their pregnant woman. However, most pregnant women love to be pampered, she wants her man to treat her like a Queen. Men love to be needed, they love to feel important, they love being the hero, it is a big turn on for a lotta men. Walaiii.

Many pregnant women radiates a glow. Their skin, their body, their smile, their voice lights up because life is growing inside them. She is beautiful, desiring to love and be loved.

My guy, when your woman is pregnant, celebrate her new form of sexiness, don’t chase after other women. She is pregnant and sexy; but most important, she is carrying your child, a child you manufactured when her sexy self gave you great sex!

Hummmmm!!! Freaky Dicky.

This is for all the mothers to be, who are right now with Big Bang Belly. Just to say, you all are beautiful. If you feel like sharing Gods creative work with us by way of a decent sexy picture, go ahead and show the world your glow, as long as your man no mind, the rest can jump into the gutter. Keep glowing Sexy Mamas."