waterways in the country.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to
State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting, presided
over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential
Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said N1.2 billion of the amount was approved for the purchase of
surveillance equipment for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Abuja and the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
He said: “The Minister sought for council’s approval, which was granted
for a contract for the design, supply and installation of a long-range
thermal camera surveillance system at the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.
“The total sum of the contract is N1,278,594,250. And this is in order
to upgrade and provide security and safety for the Nigerian Airports
Authority especially to avoid incidents on the airside and runway.”
The Minister further revealed that the council also approved N783.5
million for the procurement of two hydrographic survey boats for
National Inland Waterways Authority.
“The Minister of transportation sought and got council’s approval for
the award of contract for the procurement of two hydrographic survey
boats for National Inland Waterways Authority. In the sum of
N753,521,275 inclusive of 7.5% VAT,” he said.
The Minister, who spoke on behalf of his Transportation counterpart,
said the contract has a completion period of six months.
Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo , who also spoke
on the outcome of the meeting, said the Council approved N35.4 billion
for the building of power stations at Calabar and Kano offices of the
Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority.
He said: “My Ministry presented a memo for the award of contract for
building power stations on behalf of Nigerian Export Processing Zones
Authority in processing zones in Calabar and Kano.
“The authority received proposals from various companies and after all
the evaluations were done, they awarded the contract to one of the
companies in the sum of N35,411,119,169.47.
“The terms are that the company will finance 75 per cent, which is in
the sum of N26,558,339,337.10, while the Export Processing Zones
Authority will pay 25 per cent, which translates to N8,852,779,792.37.
“For the 75 per cent of the contractor’s portion, Council approved a
pay-back period of ten years.
“The plant will be completed after 11 months and it would be operated by
the contractor for five years and during that five years, they will
build local capacity so that after five years, the local capacity that
had been built will take over the running of the plant.”
According to Adebayo, government’s intention of the upgrade of the two
zones is to create zones with world-class standards.
“The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is desirous of making
Nigeria a manufacturing hub, especially now that we have signed on to
the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
“So, by putting 24-hour power in the two processing zones, it will make
it more attractive to foreign investors to come and set up their
manufacturing concerns here in Nigeria,” he said.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, also told
the correspondents that the council approved the concessioning of the
Aluminium Smelting Company of Nigeria, Ikot-Abasi, in Akwa Ibom.
He said: “Essentially, we sought Council’s approval for the Aluminium
Smelting Company of Nigeria, that is in Ikot-Abasi.
“The BPE has concessioned that company and the company sought to be
categorised as a power producer and as a strategic company, which
Council approved so that we can start the production of aluminium in
Nigeria.”(NAN)