The Federal Executive Council in Nigeria has approved various contracts worth billions of naira, for various sectors, to enhance development.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who briefed State House Correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s meeting of the council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, revealed that the approvals were for the Ministries of Communications and Digital Economy and Labour and Employment among others.
“First was a memo for the procurement of vehicles for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at the total sum of N660,422,220 and it’s made up of 20 pick-up vehicles and one City Bus and it’s in the spirit of encouraging our local industries that the contract was awarded to Innosons Motors.
“The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy presented a memo which was approved for the provision of broadband infrastructure for micro-small medium enterprises and also tertiary and higher learning institutions across the six geo-political zones.
“The administration is passionate about deepening the broad band infrastructure and that contract was awarded to various companies for N16, 709, 853,000.
“There is another memo for the Minister of Communications seeking approval for the supply, installations and upgrading of new IT communications equipment and furniture for Emergency Communication Centers all over the country and that was awarded for the sum of N668 million.”
He informed Journalists that the cabinet also ratified the 1975 Convention of the International Labour Organization which borders on Migrant Workers Supplementary Provision.
“There was also the ratification of the International Labour Organization Migrant Workers Supplementary Provision with Nigeria ratifying the 1975 Convention. That was the memo from the Minister of Labour and Employment,” he said.
Mohammed also revealed that the Ministry of Science and Technology got approval for the Draft National Policy on Welding.
“This is again to ensure that small and medium scale industries get necessary skilled labour. As it is today, most of our welders come from the neighbouring countries and that is the national policy to bridge that gap.” The Minister explained.
According to the Information Minister, the Ministry of Works and Housing also obtained a N1.1 billion approval for the construction of Patigi-Ada road in Kwara State.
“There was a memo presented by the Minister of Works and Housing, seeking for the approval of revised estimated total cost of contract for the construction of Patigi-Ada Road in Kwara State and the contractor applied for augmentation to the total sum of N1.192 billion which will jerk the original contract from N4.3 billion to N5.5 billion.
“There was an approval for revised estimated total cost of contract for the rehabilitation of Kotangora-Rijau-Tunganmagajiya road section 2, phase 1 in Niger state. Here the contractor was seeking a revised cost in the sum of N2.8 billion taking the total contract sim to N6.5 billion,” Mohammed added.
PIAK
