By Yusuf Ishaku Goje
The Kaduna State Government has proposed spending approximately N24.8 billion on roads out of the N370.3 billion draft budget recently submitted to the House of Assembly. This is about 6.7%. of the total budget estimates.
Rural Feeder Roads got 3.7% of total proposed expenditure on roads in a State despite the large number of rural communities,, untapped agricultural potentials and difficulty in fighting banditry and kidnapping due to poor access roads to the hinterland.
The breakdown shows that Kaduna Capital Territory has the highest allocation with N6.9 billion; followed by Kaduna Roads Agency (KADRA) N4.9 billion; Zaria Metropolitan Authority with N4.5 billion; Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructure with N3.8 billion; Kafanchan Municipal Authority with N3.6 billion; and Ministry for Local Government Affairs with N925 million.
A further breakdown show allocations to Construction/Rehabilitation of Roads including Consultancy Servcies – N3.8 billion; Township Roads Project – N2.3 billion; State Trunk Roads – N2.2 billion; Consultancy Services on Road Projects – N200 million; Provision of Road Signages and Markings – N26,7 million; and Construction of Box Culverts – N150 million.
Others include: Rural Feeder Roads project – 925million; Construction of Roads across ZMA – N4.2 billion; Consultancy Services for Road Construction – N178.4 million; and Road Maintenance Across ZMA – N104 million.
Construction/Provision of Roads KCT – N6.5billion; Construction/Provision of Road Infrastructure KCT – N330 million; Rehabilitation/Repairs of Roads KCT; N132 million; Construction/Provision of Roads and Road Infrastructure including Drainages KMA – N3.4 billion; and Rehabilitation/Repairs of Roads – 171 million.
Kaduna State has a total of 2,133.59km of roads, out of which only 49.20% (1,049.72km) are in good conditions, 22.09% (471.25km) are in fair state and 28.71% (612.63km) are in poor condition. Out of the total State roads, 66.87% (1,426.79km) are paved (AC/SD) while the remaining 33.13% (706.80km) is earth road.
Furthermore, the state has a total of 3,110.43km of local government roads, out of which only 3.35% (104.20km) are paved roads (SD road), while 96.65% (3,006.23km) are earth roads.
The State government has done well to have introduced the road component of the Urban Renewal Projects in the three Senatorial Districts.
However, the distribution of the funding seems to be uneven; likewise, the speed of ongoing construction. Importantly, being an agrarian State with huge potential for industrialization, the focus being paid to rural roads leaves much to be desired.More needs to be done to ensure equity in the distribution and funding of these road projects. This will go a long way in closing the inequality gap in the State.
Lets engage, ask the right questions and hold the government accountable.
Yusuf Ishaku Goje is a
Concerned Resident of Kaduna State.
