The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts worth N30 billion for construction of two roads from Sokoto and Jigawa States to terminate at the Nigerian borders with the Niger Republic.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed said the first contract of N9.5 billion was for the 46 kilometres road from Balle Kurdella in Sokoto State to the border in Niger Republic border.
He said the second contract is for the 50-kilometre road from Kunya in Jigawa State to the Niger Republic border.
According to him, it will be constructed by Mothercat civil engineering firm at a cost of N19.76 billion.
The minister said the contracts were approved as part of strategies to implement the administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), to boost trade and economy, especially given the international commercial activities in those areas.
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He added: “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memorandum for the award of roads. The first is Belle/Kurdulla to Niger Republic border road in Sokoto. It’s in favour of Messrs North Sea limited joint venture with Caesar Engineering at N9. 576 million to be completed in 24 months, the road is 46 kilometres.
“The second one is for Kunya to Niger Republic border phase two which is in Jigawa State at N19. 763.567 billion.
“The length of the roads is 50 kilometres and council considered and approved this memorandum on the justification made that it is critical not only to execute our mandate under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and Ministerial mandate to improve infrastructure but also for the enablement of business across borders particularly now that we have taken an affirmative position of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“The market in that area of the country do a lot of trade across borders. So this is a good boost for business as well.”
In her remark at the briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, disclosed that the council approved the extension of contract services for Kontagora irrigation project in Niger State by three years at a cost of N734.5 million.
While noting that the was started in 1987, he added: “The Ministry presented one memo to the Council. This memo was seeking an extension to the consultancy services related to Kontagora/Auna Dam and Irrigation Project.
“This is a project that was started in 1987 and abandoned and as part of our efforts to complete ongoing and abandoned projects that we inherited, we revived it in 2017/2018 and since we have revised it and there’s going to be an extension of time, it makes sense for the consultants that have been working to the project to also have an extension of their services.
“Accordingly, the Council approved the extension of the services of the consultants by three years in the total sum of N734.5 million. That was our presentation today. Kontagora/Auna is in Niger State.”
On his part, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said his ministry presented one memo for the refurbishment of the Accident Investigation Bureau’s Office in Abuja and the establishment of the training school for accident investigation, also in Abuja.
He explained: “Accident Investigation, of course, they are like the pathologists of Aviation. Their job is to investigate accidents and incidents and review preventing its happening again.
“The contract sum for the construction of the school is N645, 453,627.80. For the refurbishment of the office, it is N591,857,050.39. It was taken and approved.
“The sum is inclusive of the equipment in the laboratory, it has laboratory components and these equipment are from their manufacturers, through the representatives of those manufacturers.
“They will be certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which is the regulator of the industry in Nigeria.”
The Minister of Mines and Steel, Olamilekan Adegbite, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, presented their ministries’ report card spanning his first 100 days, to the council.
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