The Federal Executive Council, FEC on Wednesday approved contracts for construction of two roads from Sokoto and Jigawa States up to Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic at a total cost of about N30 billion.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.
According to him, the first contract of N9.5 billion was for the 46 kilometers road from Balle Kurdella in Sokoto State to the border in Niger Republic border.
While the second contract is for the 50-kilometer road from Kunya in Jigawa State to the Niger Republic border, and it will be constructed by Mothercat civil engineering firm at a cost of N19.76 billion.
Fashola explained that the contracts were approved as part of strategies to implement the administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), to boost trade and economy, especially given the international commercial activities in those areas.
He said, “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memorandum for the award of roads. The first is Belle/Kurdulla to Niger Republic border road in Sokoto. It’s in Favour of messres North Sea limited joint venture with Caesar Engineering at N9. 576 million to be completed in 24 months, the Road is 46 kilometers
“The second one is for Kunya… to Niger Republic border phase two which is in Jigawa State at N19. 763.567 billion.
‘ The length of the roads is 50 kilometers and council considered and approved this memorandum on the justification made that it is critical not only to execute our mandate under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and Ministerial mandate to improve infrastructure but also for the enablement of business across borders particularly now that we have taken an affirmative position of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“The market in that area of the country do a lot of trade across borders. So this is a good boost for business as well.”
Also briefing newsmen, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said that the council approved the extension of contract services for Kontagora irrigation project in Nigeria State by three years at a cost of N734.5 million. The project he said was started in 1987 but abandoned until resuscitated recently.
He said, “The Ministry presented one memo to the Council. This memo was seeking an extension to the consultancy services related to Kontagora/Auna Dam and Irrigation Project. ”
This is a project that was started in 1987 and abandoned and as part of our efforts to complete ongoing and abandoned projects that we inherited, we revived it in 2017/2018 and since we have revised it and there’s going to be an extension of time, it makes sense for the consultants that have been working to the project to also have an extension of their services.
“Accordingly, Council approved the extension of the services of the consultants by three years in the total sum of N734.5 million. That was our presentation today. Kontagora/Auna is in Niger State.”
