Nigeria: Govt Okays N485 Trillion Infrastructure Master Plan Abuja — A THIRTY-YEAR National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) that would cost N485 trillion was ratified by the Federal Government Wednesday. The approved document which is to serve as a blueprint for accelerated integrated infrastructure development in the country from 2014 to 2043 was endorsed at the Federal Executive Council (FEC)s weekly sitting. The Minister of National Planning/Deputy Chairman, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Suleiman Olarewaju Abubakar, informed journalists of the ratification. The draft NIIMP is a blueprint for integrated infrastructure development for the next 30 years based on the countrys economic growth aspirations. To make it a sustainable document, the minister said the NIIMP Bill was being drafted and would be presented to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill in order to provide an enabling legal framework for sustained implementation. According to the minister, the plan which would cover a period of 30 years is expected to take $3.05 trillion (N485 trillion) to execute. He explained that $166.1 billion would be needed to implement the first phase of the plan which would cover 2014-2018 . He said that the plan would among other things address the lack of linkages in the infrastructure sector including energy (power, oil and gas), transport (roads, rail, ports and airports), housing, water, information and communication technology (ICT). The FEC approved the award of a contract for the design and construction of four marine tug boats to facilitate operations at the Nigerian Ports Authority( NPA) to the tune of €42.9 million. When completed, the project is expected to improve the provision of functional and efficient marine services to its customers in consonance with the port concession policy. The council approved a proposal for the award of a contract for the design, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of 2X60MVA, 132/33KV at Amasiri and 2X132KV Line Bays Extension at Abakaliki for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, told State House correspondents after the meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan that the contract which would have a lifespan of 24 months was awarded in favour of Messrs Depasa Marine International (Nigeria) Limited for €42,968,864.70 (equivalent of N8,778,423,042.28), inclusive of all taxes with a completion period of 24 months. The minister noted that there was a budgetary provision of N1.7 billion in the NPAs approved 2014 budget under the heading of code, design, construction and procurement of four tug boats for Lagos and Port Harcourt while the balance would be provided in the 2015 and 2016 budgets. According to Umar, the project is expected to generate 97 job opportunities for both professionals and non-professionals during its execution and about 112 direct and indirect job opportunities when in full operation. The Minister of State (Power), Mohammed Wakil, said an award of contract for the Ebonyi/Cross River power transmission line was to boost electricity supply to the two states for increased economic activities. A similar approval was given last week for the boosting of electricity supply to some parts of Anambra State. Giving the detail, Wakil said: The Council approved the re-award of the contract in favour of Messrs North China Power Engineering Limited and NCEP (Nig) Limited in the sum of $5,835,368.47 (five million, eight hundred and thirty-five thousand, three hundred and sixty- eight United States dollars and forty-seven cents) payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment plus N505,788,083.58 ( Five hundred and five million, seven hundred and eighty-eight thousand, eighty-three naira, fifty-eight kobo) inclusive of N67,211,298.58 ( sixty-seven million, two hundred and eleven thousand, two hundred and ninety-eight naira, fifty-eight kobo) for five per cent contingency with a completion period of 24 months. The project is designed to boost power supply to Ebonyi State and parts of Cross River and enhance the socio-economic development of the states. The funds are available under the Eurobond loan, 2014 appropriation and in the unutilised letter of credit earlier established for the terminated project to commence implementation of the project. He recalled that the contract for the project was awarded in December 1, 2010 to a different contracting firm, Merssrs Techno Electric and Engineering Company which failed to execute the project after allegedly collecting 15 per cent contract mobilisation fee from the Federal Government for the project. He noted that a machinery was already being set in motion to ensure that the company refunds the 15 per cent mobilisation fees collected. In addition, he said government had also blacklisted the directors of the company and as such they cannot start up any other company in the country. Besides, indications emerged yesterday that the Federal Government may review the re-opening of public and private primary and secondary schools across the country. The decision, to review the earlier date of October 13 announced on August 26 by Education Minister, Ibrahim Shekarau, followed favourable reports on the containment of Ebola by the Presidential Technical Committee to advise the government following the outbreak of the disease on July 20 this year. The decision to shift the resumption of schools to October 13 last month attracted public outrage. But the government insisted that it took the decision in public interest, in order to check the spread of the virus among the children, noting that they were more vulnerable to the spread of the disease. But briefing State House Correspondents shortly after the FEC meeting, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated that based on advice from experts and the containment measures that had been taken on the disease, the schools would have to resume earlier than announced. According to him, the minister of education is expected to hold an emergency meeting with the commissioners of education in the states to review its earlier decision on the school calendar to announce a resumption date. He noted that the decision by FEC followed a positive recommendation submitted to his ministry by the Presidential Committee which indicated that with the effective containment policy embarked upon by the Federal Government, it was now safe to re-open the schools. He added that those schools could reopen indeed even by the middle of September but that the decision was left entirely with the Ministry of Education. Culled from The Guardian
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:33:08 +0000
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