Leadership / Nigeria: Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said that the huge infrastructure deficit in the country was a major impediment to the nation’s economic growth.
Speaking while receiving a delegation of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), who paid him a courtesy visit at the weekend in Abuja, Saraki said it was only when the issue was addressed that the nation’s economy will witness rapid transformation.
“Whatever we do, we cannot move this country forward until when we address this huge infrastructural deficit and this must be done in a conscious, efficient and cost effective way to achieve the desired result. It is based on this our conviction that the Senate identified laws critical to infrastructural provision for urgent review to bring them up to date with the present realities”, he said.
Saraki, stated that the extension of the Nigerian Content Development Act to cover other sectors of the economy, necessitated the Senate to debate and passed for second reading a Bill to amend the Public Procurement Act.
According to him, “with this, Nigerian businesses and entrepreneurs are one step closer to having a first option policy, as this amendment will ensure that as matter of law, agencies of government patronizes made in Nigeria goods.
He lamented the huge resources being spent on importation of goods, and expressed confidence that the trend could be reversed with appropriate policies, firm leadership and the desired encouragement to entrepreneurs.
“By the time we change our orientation to patronise our local products, our economy will surely be where it supposed to be,” he said.
