The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called on the UN to embark on single impactful projects in Nigeria rather than a number of projects that may not leave any impact on the country.
Fashola gave the advice when Mr Jean Bakole, the Representative to ECOWAS and Regional Hub, UNIDO, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Monday.
According to Fashola, it is commendable that the UN has voted 60 million dollars to support Nigeria in its infrastructure development and the country has embraced the partnership of the UN.
He called on the world body to streamline its programmes to have a specified focus so that it would be impactful and successful affecting more lives and bringing about the desired change.
He said since the world body was planning to implement programmes in the country with a sum of 60 million dollars it should pick just a project to concentrate on so that the country would benefit more from it.
“Looking at the size of Nigeria, 60 million dollars was a small amount compared to the population of the country, what obtains in other African countries might not be the same in Nigeria.
“Though it does not always have to do with the size of the money but in the implementation of the projects the UN should pick on single projects that would be impactful and be an example to many of what is working.
“The money can be ploughed into one or two big things that work instead of being lost in so many.’’ Fashola said.
Commenting on government’s support for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Fasholasaid the government was not taking them for granted as they were major contributors to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
“We understand their value and their contribution to the GDP, they are being supported by very clear policies, through institutions like the Bank of Industry, Ministry of Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Finance is developing fiscal policies to give the lift to them.
“You see also in the increase of VAT, the president was very clear that the threshold of businesses liable to the increase were those who had a base of five million naira or more, no struggling developing business would be affected.
Earlier, Bakole said the delegation was at the ministry to give the minister the report on the work of UNIDO.
He said the organisation was involved in a process of formulating a new policy programme for Nigeria.
According to him, the agency is coming up with nine programmes that will aid development in the country, especially in the areas of research, statistics and infrastructure.
Bakole said the agency expected the Nigerian Government to play its part in order to facilitate the programmes.
In a related development, the National Blood Transfusion Service has called for the support of the Ministry of Works and Housing in voluntary donation of blood.
Dr Oluwatoyin Smith, the National Coordinator of the service, made this call also in a courtesy visit to the minister.
She and her team solicited for a blood collection centre to be established in the ministry where the staff could voluntarily donate blood.
Fashola promised to support the service in its bid to sensitise the staff on the importance of blood donation.
“It is important to have a blood bank ready for use in case of emergencies, blood is a universal thing and binds all humanity.’’
