Date: 2016-08-26

The minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Raji Fashola yesterday stressed the need for the inclusion of every stakeholder in housing, land and urban sector of the economy to bring about employment generation and sustainable development.

Fashola spoke at the formal opening of the fifth meeting of national council on land, housing and urban development in Ilorin, Kwara state.

The minister said that such process had helped to build infrastructure of Europe, Asia and many parts of the Middle East.

He stressed:"I must advise that inclusion and employment will not happen by happenstance. They will not happen simply because governments plans to spend money and actually does so. Yes, the budget will work, money will be spent, but inclusion may not happen and the people targeted for the benefit may not benefit if the benefit is transferred to foreign countries, to foreign factories because professionals either do not participate or where they do, they prefer foreign made or imported goods to local ones.

So, one objective of this council meeting and its theme is to emphasis to all members that it is only those who are willing to act, those who are willing to work, and those who are willing to get their hands dirty by blasting rocks, by moving sand, cement, iron rods, making doors, moulding blocks, pouring concrete and so on; who will help us to create inclusion in this economic process.