The Federal Government has proposed N737.05 billion for the execution of 71 top projects in seven ministries.
A Daily Trust analysis of the 2018 budget proposal presented to the National Assembly last week Tuesday by President Muhammadu Buhari, has identified the top projects that will, if fully implemented, consume over 30 percent of the N2.43 trillion earmarked for the 2018 capital expenditure.
The beneficiary ministries are Power, Works and Housing; Health; Water Resources; Education; Niger Delta; Transport and Agriculture.
In the power ministry, the Federal Government wants to execute six top projects, including N9.8bn for the Mambilla Hydro Power Project; N12bn counterpart funding earmarked for transmission lines and substations; N10.15bn for rural electrification access programme in federal universities; N2.8bn for the construction of 215MW LPFO/Gas Power Station, Kaduna; N4bn for Kashimbilla Transmission; and N2.56bn for Fast Power Programme Accelerated Gas and Solar Power Generation.
Under transportation, the Federal Government wants to execute seven top rail line projects, including N162.28bn as counterpart funding for railway projects such as Lagos-Kano (ongoing), Calabar-Lagos, Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Aladja (Warri), and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri.
Under Works, government is targeting 32 key projects, with N10bn for the Second Niger Bridge and about N295bn for the construction and rehabilitation of 31 major roads nationwide. These include the Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriageway; Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Bokani Road; Abuja-Abaji Road; Kano-Maiduguri Road; and Enugu-PortHarcourt Dual Carriageway.
In housing, government earmarked N35.41bn for the Federal Government National Housing Programme.
Under health, seven top projects are to be executed amounting to N21.6bn.
The budget proposed N6bn for Strategic Joint Venture Investments in selected Tertiary Health institutions with the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) getting N8.9bn for procurement of RI vaccines and devices; N3.5bn for counterpart funding; including global fund, health and GAVI; N1bn for Health Emergencies and contagious diseases outbreaks (e.g. Meningitis, measles, yellow fever, monkey pox, etc). N1bn is earmarked for Midwives Service Scheme and N1.2bn for Polio Eradication Initiative.
Under water resources, government intends to spend N56.6bn on four major projects; viz N3.5bn for Zobe Water Supply Project-Phase I & II; N2bn for Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH); N1bn for Special Intervention for North East and IDPs-Potable Water and over N50bn for water supply, rehabilitation of dams and irrigation projects nationwide.
In agriculture and rural development, government plans to spend N51.58bn on eight key projects such as N6.75bn for Rural Roads and Water Sanitation; N25.1bn for Promotion and Development of value chains across 30 different commodities; N5.30bn for National Grazing Reserve Development; N4bn for Agribusiness and Market Development; and N4.08bn for Food and Strategic Reserves.
Other projects under Agriculture and Rural Development are N2bn for supply, installation and commissioning of water rigs nationwide; N1.13bn for FGN support for youths in agribusiness; and N3.22bn for Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise (LIFE) programme.
Under education, the Federal Government wants to executive five key projects with N15.05bn. These are N5bn provisioned as take-off grant for Maritime University, Delta State; N1.8bn for payment of Federal Teachers Scheme allowance; N566.9m for construction of National Library of Nigeria; and N7.65bn for various scholarship allowances.
In the Niger Delta, government intends to executive two key projects with N38bn: N17.42bn for various sections of the East West Road and N2.58bn for Section III, from Port-Harcourt Eleme Junction to Onne Port junction.
