The Federal Government has approved two contracts worth N15.3bn for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components and digital assistance devices for the 2023 population and housing census slated for May 3 to 5.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this to State House Correspondents on Wednesday shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Shehu said, “Among those memos that were approved today was the award of the contract for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components for the 2023 population census.
“The ICT component contract was awarded for about N10.9bn.
“Another contract that was approved for the National Population Commission was one for the development and implementation of mobile device management solutions for the personal digital assistant devices to be used for the 2023 population census. This is in the sum of about N4.4bn.”
The presidential spokesman also revealed that the council approved a contract for the development of external infrastructure at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission new training academy for the sum of N3.3bn.
N1bn was also approved for a contract for the procurement of 19 vehicles for the Nigerian Ports Authority.
This followed the approval of N65m for variation in the cost of a contract for the supply of airport fire crash tenders in the Ministry of Aviation.
Shehu also revealed that the FG approved new regulations to protect people living with HIV/AIDS against workplace discrimination.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the council approved three memoranda, including one for the digitisation of processes and workflow which was approved at the sum of N916.8 with an implementation period of 12 months.
The approval would ensure the conversion of all paper records, including files and memoranda into digital format, he said.
Fashola also revealed that the Council approved an additional N36bn as variation for a contract for the construction of the Kaduna Eastern Bypass.
First awarded in 2002 under the Obasanjo administration, the road connects Kaduna with about 11 other states.
“The contract has been long going, awarded since 2002, largely unfunded. We resuscitated it to life through our Sukuk Project; it’s 48 kilometres, over 20 kilometres has been completed, but the rates at which the contract was awarded have become obsolete because of inflation and so, the contractor sought and council has considered and approved an augmentation to increase the contract size from N38bn to N74.65bn.
“So that’s an augmentation of N36.46bn.”
Fashola also said the council approved the construction of four roads in Kwara State, under the Tax Credit System okayed by Buhari through Executive Order Seven in January 2019.
They include Bode Sa’adu-Kaiama-Kosubu Road, 130km, awarded at N152.84bn. Lafiagi-Shonga-Bacita Road, 74.30km, awarded at N80.22bn. Eiyenkorin-Afon-OjokuOffa Road, 42.64km, awarded at N56.33bn; and Okuta-Kenu-Tebe Road, 38km, awarded N37.89bn.
The total length of the four roads is 283.94km to be funded by BUA International Limited at the sum of N327.28bn
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the Nigerian Customs Service received approval to construct several flats at its new barracks site, Aviation Village, Abuja, at N17bn.
