The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has disclosed that the Federal Executive Council has on Wednesday, approved a policy for the local production of bitumen that is being used for road construction.
He said a significant amount of bitumen being used in road construction in Nigeria was imported, therefore creating jobs abroad, noting that his ministry recommended to the council to approve a directive to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Mines and Steel to develop strategies to enhance, stimulate, and encourage local production of bitumen. He said, “That policy recommendation was approved by the council today to encourage bitumen production locally in Nigeria.” According to him, this will help to further diversify the economy and open another sub-sector of the extractive and hydro-carbon industry for local opportunities.
