The Senate is considering legislation that will enable Public/Private Partnership (PPP) for infrastructure development, the Senate Committee on Works said on Wednesday.
The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Mohammad Aliero, made the disclosure when he led members of the committee on a courtesy call on Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Alausa, Ikeja.
Aliero said there was the need to look at alternative ways of funding infrastructure development apart from annual budget.
He said that so many projects were suffering because the funding was expected from the budget.
”We will go into Public/Private Partnership, allowing the private sector to come and construct these roads and manage them till they recover their money.
”It will go a long way in making movement of goods and services easier for Nigerians.
”That is why the senate is considering coming up with strong legislation that will enable the private sector to come into partnership with government to build infrastructure – railways, roads and power.
”Whatever money remains can be used for special sectors such as education and healthcare delivery,” he said.
Aliero said that the committee members were in Lagos to inspect ongoing rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion works on the Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Apapa-Tincan-Wharf Road, Ikorodu-Sagamu Expressway and other federal road projects in the state.
”We have allocated funds in 2018, in 2019, and have come to see the progress made so that when we go back, we will know how to monitor and ensure that the work is completed in time.
”In particular, the Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway is very important to us because this is one project, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wants to hand over this year or latest next year.
”This is because it is a very important road to Nigeria, not only to Lagos State or the South West.
“It leads to the entire country both South South, South East, up to the three geopolitical zones of the North – North Central, North West and North East,” he said.
In his response, Sanwo-Olu said that his administration was already exploring private funds to renew infrastructure and construct new ones, such as the Fourth Mainland Bridge.
The governor expressed satisfaction with the attention the Federal Government was paying to infrastructure development in the state, and solicited for more.
Sanwo-Olu said that Lagos State Government would soon conclude its own part of the 10-lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
He called on the Federal Government to secure the Right of Way (RoW) on the 10-lane Lagos-Badagry Expressway for future development. (NAN)
 for infrastructure development, the Senate Committee on Works said on Wednesday.){kind=link}