Meeting: FEC Reveals Policies For Economy Boost

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) after a marathon meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday unveiled 21 major policy initiatives.

The FEC meeting, which started on Monday and was concluded on Tuesday, has been described by experts as unprecedented in the history of the council.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, shared the list in a post on his X handle.

According to Onanuga: “After exhaustive deliberations, the council approved a number of policies and projects that will further boost the economy, facilitate investments and promote the ease of doing business in the country.”

The policies approved by the council are:

1. Council supported a series of initiatives set to be launched that will revolutionize Nigeria’s Infrastructure and Housing sector through Public-Private Partnerships

The initiatives which can unlock about N2 trillion are aimed at transforming the nation’s infrastructure and housing mortgage sector, meet the urgent demand for critical infrastructure and affordable homeownership, fostering job creation, inclusive growth, and long-term productivity enhancement.

2. FEC approved that all users of Federal airports all over the country must now pay tolls at the gates. No one is excluded. The President and Vice President of Nigeria will also pay the toll.

3. The council announced a ban on sand dredging 10 kms from all Federal bridges throughout the country.

4. Council announced a four-week deadline for review of visa policy to enable tourists, business people, and creative professionals to visit Nigeria. The ease of doing business, the council agreed cannot materialise if prospective visitors face a herculean problem getting our country’s visa.

5. The council granted approval for the supply, installation and training of operators of disabled aircraft recovery system at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The contract will cost N4.2 billion. Similar contract was awarded in 2021 for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in 2021.

6. Council approved Special Purpose Vehicle to be created on a PPP basis to develop 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable to increase Nigeria’s internet connectivity by 60-70 percent. The SPV intends to copy the NLNG model.

7. Council approved a consultancy service for the reconciliation and expansion of the remittances to NITDA.

8. Council approved the request of the Ministry of Communications to convert the property at 324 Jackson Street, San Francisco, USA into a Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Programme Hub. Property owned by the Nigerian government is valued at close to $7million.

9. The FEC also approved the award of contract for the building of bus terminals and other transport facilities in the Federal Capital, Abuja. Terminals will be built within 15 months at Kugbo, Abuja Central Business District and Mabushi. The whole project will cost N51 billion and will be executed by Planet Projects Nigeria Limited, which did similar contracts in Lagos and Oyo states.

10. Council approved the award of contract to Messrs El & Matt Nigeria Limited to upgrade Kwaita-Yebu Road in Kuala Area Council of Abuja at a cost of N7.6 billion. Completion time is 18 months.

11. Council approved contract for the building of the Court of Appeal Abuja Division at a cost of N37.2 billion. Project will be executed by Messrs Visible Construction Limited.

12. The Council awarded contract at a cost of N412million for street lights on Bill Clinton Drive, Airport Expressway. The job includes the procurement of 8 back-up generators, which will be powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Solar, in line with government’s decision about migrating from fossil fuel to renewable energy.

14. Messrs Yuan Resources Limited was awarded the concession to deploy a revenue assurance platform under PPP arrangement in the lottery and gaming sector. The concession which will be for 15 years, will be done via DFBOT option, which means Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer.

15. Before the Monday meeting was adjourned till Tuesday, council approved several road projects. Among them was the reconstruction of Iseyin-Okeho-Iganna Road in Oyo State.

17. Approval was granted for the award of contract for reconstruction of Koton-Karfe -Abaji Road (Abuja bound), along Abuja-Lokoja Route in Kogi state at a cost of N89 billion.

18. On Day 2 of the FEC meeting, approval was given for the award of contract for the equalisation of Lokoja-Benin Road, Okpela Section, Lokoja-Benin, Dualised Auchi Section -Uromi Link Road and Lokoja-Benin Road, Ekpoma Section. It was on this road that a fuel tanker fell into high water recently, with villagers having to swim to rescue the occupants of the tanker. The reconstruction will be financed by BUA Cement at a cost of N120 Billion under the tax credit scheme.

19. Council approved contracts to various contractors to build roads and bridges in Kaima-Tesse, Kwara State, Benin-Agbor, BeninByepass and Ngaski-Wara in Kebbi State. All the four contracts will cost N546 billion.

20. Messrs CCECC was awarded contract at N230 billion to build Kano Bypass. The road which is 37kms long will include bridges and several flyovers. The company has 36 months to complete the work.

21. The Council approved for procurement the Sokoto-Illela-Badagry superhighway, which is meant to join the Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway. The road was first awarded in 1976 and then abandoned.