FEC approves N25bn for road, irrigation projects, releases $1m for contraceptives

166

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N25 billion for repairs of Hadejia-Nguru road, linking Jigawa and Yobe states and the completion of Gari irrigation projects to serve Kano and Jigawa states.

Water Resources Minister Suleiman Adamu and Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu, and Minister  (State) for Power, Works & Housing, Mustapha Shehuri, made the disclosure on Wednesday at the end of the weekly FEC meeting in Abuja.

Adamu said that FEC approved N14.5 billion for the completion of Gari irrigation projects meant to serve Kano and Jigawa states, which according to him, had been abandoned since 2000 after it was over 50 per cent completed.

The project, he explained, was one of the 116 abandoned projects inherited by the ministry and among the top priority projects of the government because of its capacity to serve 2,000 hectares.

Shehuri said that the Council also approved N10.5 billion for the repair of Hadejia-Nguru road linking Jigawa and Yobe states.

He said the 30-kilometre road project had been awarded to a civil engineering company, Mothercat.

Also speaking, the Minister of Heath, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said that the Federal Government had released $1 million for the delivery of contraceptives for the enhancement of quality family planning among Nigerians since 2016.

According to him, procurement for the implementation of the plan led by a committee chaired by a director in the ministry had equally been secured.

He said that the ministry had submitted nine proposals which had been approved by the Council since 2016.

According to him, following a presidential approval of the joint venture agreement between the federal government and May & Baker for the production of local vaccines, a board had been constituted on January 19 to oversee the venture and consequently, Nigeria will begin to produce its vaccines within the next two years.