FEC meeting to hold Mondays

The Bola Tinubu administration has made a significant change in the scheduling of Federal Executive Council meetings, shifting them from Wednesdays to Mondays. Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information, announced this policy change and added that these meetings may not take place on a weekly basis unless there are urgent matters to be addressed.

Dave Umahi, who serves as the Minister of Works, presented a memorandum regarding the extensive scope of road infrastructure inherited from the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari. This infrastructure encompasses a total length of 18,897 kilometers.

He also informed the Federal Executive Council about various issues, including projects that had been awarded but remained unfinished for extended periods due to inadequate funding. Additionally, Umahi highlighted the necessity of addressing new critical routes totaling 12,000 kilometers and 24 bridges.

The Federal Executive Council, in response, approved the continuation of these inherited projects and the new proposal. They directed the formation of a committee composed of key figures such as 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. This committee’s task is to devise strategies for sourcing the necessary funds and addressing funding-related issues.

Moreover, the FEC acknowledged the ongoing projects and took measures to mitigate inflation and variations in project execution. They approved the concept that most ongoing projects should be designed with concrete pavements, depending on their completion status, with asphalt as an option under specific conditions.

Another significant approval by the Federal Executive Council pertained to the coastal road that runs from Lagos to Port Harcourt to Calabar. This project, divided into Phase 1 and Phase 2, was greenlit for implementation using the engineering procurement and construction plus financing (EPC + F) approach.

Additionally, eight roads that had undergone the concessioning process in the previous administration received approval, with financial closure expected to be achieved in November. Notably, one project, the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road, was excluded and entrusted to the Ogun State Government to handle independently under the Hardware Development Management Initiative, with no refunds but the option to toll the road. Furthermore, 25 new roads were approved for concessioning, following an extended process on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Finally, the Federal Executive Council approved a PPP arrangement for the Ijora Park in Lagos. This project had initially been initiated by the previous administration and was awarded to Beta Nigeria Ltd. The consultancy for projects funded by the NNPC and FIRS was also given the green light during this meeting.