FEC Approves N1.9 trn For NNPCL to Build 44 Roads

FEC Approves Draft Bill for the Establishment of Nigeria Police Force College Training | Approves N1.35bn for procurement of 31 vehicles

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its first meeting in 2023 on Wednesday, approved the proposal by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its subsidiaries to invest N1.9 trillion for the reconstruction of 44 selected federal roads across the country.

The meeting was chaired by the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who stood in for President Muhammadu Buhari who was in Mauritania attending an African Peace Conference in Nouakchott.

NNPC had earlier indicated interest to invest in the reconstruction of selected federal roads under the Federal Government Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Policy, phase two to ensure smooth supply and distribution of petroleum products across the country, Thisday Reports.

This move is in sync with the Executive Order 007 signed by Mr. Buhari aimed at unlocking funding from the private sector for critical road infrastructure in the country. Executive Order 007 was designed to empower private companies to finance construction or refurbishment of federal roads designated as “eligible roads” under the scheme and recoups their investments through deduction of the approved total costs expended on the project from their annual Companies Income Tax (CIT).

Mr. Laolu Akande, media assistant to the vice president, in a media briefing after the meeting stated that the memo was presented by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Akande said the ministry also got approval for concession of nine road corridors under the pilot phase of the Value Added Concession of the highways development and management initiative following the issuance of the requisite full business case compliance certificates by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for a period of 25 years.

The roads he said were those of “Benin-Asaba corridor; Abuja-Lokoja-Onitsha-Owerri-Aba-Shagamu-to Benin; Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi; Kano-Maiduguri, that is the Kano Shauri; Enugu-Port Harcourt; Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta; and Lagos-Badagry-Seme.”

The road infrastructure scheme is a public-private partnership intervention that enables the federal government to leverage private sector capital and efficiency for the construction and refurbishment of critical road infrastructure.

FG approves N1.35bn for the purchase of 31 Vehicles for Ogoni Project Monitoring

The FEC meeting also approved  the sum of N1.35bn for the procurement of 31 vehicles for the use of the Federal Ministry of Environment. The Minister of |Environment, Muhammed Abdullahi disclosed that the vehicles would be used for the monitoring of power and remediation projects in polluted areas of Ogoniland, Rivers State.

Abdullahi stated, “In view of this development and because of the desire to ensure effective supervision of these projects, particularly the five water schemes and the 16 upcoming water schemes and the proposed shoreline remediation, and also the proposed centres of excellences to be built within Ogoni land and in view of the fact that we are going to inspect on a regular basis, experts from outside the country, there is a need to provide project vehicles so that they can effectively inspect, supervise and monitor the remediation exercise.

“So, FEC today approved the sum of N1, 354,016,250 only in favour of Messrs. Mujav automobile Nigeria Limited to provide 31 number of vehicles for the project.

“These include one 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus, one 30-seater Toyota coaster bus, they’re all supposed to be 2022 models. Then 11 Toyota Hilux double cabin four-wheel drive also of 2022 model, diesel engine.

“Then 15 numbers Toyota Hilux double cabin four-wheel drives, diesel and petrol engine, also 2022 models. Then one Toyota Land Cruiser twin turbo 2022 model and, lastly, two units of Land Cruiser V6 Prada for the projects.

“Only 31 vehicles were approved for the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project to ensure effective supervision of the project, particularly, delimitation sites. This is what we presented and was approved by FEC.”

FEC Approves Draft Bill for the Establishment of Nigeria Police Force College Training School

The council approved the draft bill for an Act to establish Nigeria Police Force College Training School, for the professional training of officers of the Nigeria Police and other related matters.

The Minister of Police Affairs addressing journalists said the bill was to give legal backing and financial autonomy to the institutions to mobilize the much-needed technical and financial support from within and outside the country for the modernization of police training facilities.