The Nigerian government has announced a shift in the day for Federal Executive Council meetings from Wednesdays to Mondays. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, disclosed the new policy and further explained that the meetings may not be held weekly unless there are pressing issues to discuss.
At the most recent meeting, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, presented a memo to the Council on the inherited scope of road infrastructure from the past administration, covering a total length of 18,897 kilometers from the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also highlighted that a number of projects awarded by the previous administration had been abandoned or were ongoing with no proper funding. Further to this, he presented a proposal for critical routes totaling 12,000 kilometers and 24 bridges.
In response, the Council approved the continuation of these inherited projects and the new proposal.
Additionally, they directed that a committee be constituted to meet and come up with strategies to source for the funds and everything pertaining to the funding. The committee is made up of the Chief of Staff, Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Minister for Works, Minister for Planning and Budget, GCEO/GMD of NNPLC, chairman of FIRS and SSA on Tax Reform. Furthermore, the Council approved the use of concrete pavements for some of the ongoing projects to mitigate inflation and variation of the projects. The coastal road running from Lagos to Port Harcourt to Calabar was also approved to be done on EPC + F (engineering procurement and construction plus financing).
Eight roads that were started in the past administration for concessioning that have gone through all the processes were also approved.
The financial closure should be reached in the month of November.
There were nine roads initially, but the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road was pulled out and given to the Ogun State Government based on their request that they should do the road on their own and they will follow the HDMI that is hardware development management initiative.
No refunds for that but they will do it and toll it. The Council also approved the concessioning of 25 new roads, which takes a very long time on the PPP model. Finally, the Council approved the PPP for Ijora Park in Lagos to be done on PPP, and it was won by Beta Nigeria Ltd. The consultancy for NNPC and FIRS, who oversee the projects funded by them, was also approved in the meeting.
