The Federal Government has rolled out a programme to attract foreign investors and boost economic development through the National Integrated Infrastructural Master Plan (NIIMP).
 Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman on Thursday in Kano urged government functionaries from federal to local government levels to embrace NIIMP with a view to sustain the economic growth in the country, saying that the document has the potentials of attracting foreign investors to the country.
Usman who spoke during the Zonal Validation Workshop on the draft for Northwest held in Grand Central Hotel, said the Federal Government has concluded plans to develop the infrastructure needed to enhance economic development and as well, attract huge presence of foreign investors.
He said that the purpose of the NIIMP is to give first-hand information to foreign investors on whether the level sociol-economic cum infrastructural development in the country, so as to encourage them pick interest in establishing their business concerns in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, with President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, the needed infrastructures for adequate investment are being put in place, adding that, “and if the concept of NIIMP is properly galvanized and enhanced, the nagging problem of unemployment will become history and the Nigerian youth will benefit tremendously from the whole idea.â€
Usman further noted that, “NIIMP provides the capital allocation framework, which identifies the required investments to bring infrastructure in Nigeria in line with the country’s growth aspirations.
The
plan also identifies and elaborates on enablers for implementation that would be needed to be put in place for successful execution.† The Minister, however, admitted that the current infrastructure stock in Nigeria is inadequate, adding that, “that is why the National Planning Commission has been mandated to  coordinate the development of NIIMP which master plan is to run for 30 years; and designed to address the challenges in the infrastructure sector holistically.â€
He noted that the 30-year master plan will require USD2.9 trillion in investment to close Nigeria’s infrastructural gap which includes, energy, Information Communication Technology, Housing-Regional Development ,Vital registration and security, finance mechanism, transport, Water, Agriculture and Mining, Plan Delivery, Monitoring &  Evaluation, Social Infrastructure and  legal and regulatory   states’ Infrastructure development.
Speaking at the workshop, Kano state Governor, Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Rabi’u Ssuleiman Bichi, said Kano state Government was in total support of the NIIMP project, adding that the state government has evolve a strategy that would boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) so as to provide alternative fund for socio-economic development and as well, enhance the standard of living of the people.