FEC approves 120.67bn roads, water projects

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N120.67bn for roads, bridges, and water projects in Adamawa, Plateau, Taraba, Imo, and Niger States.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who briefed reporters after the federal cabinet meeting, said the FEC approved the award of the Jebi-Lamba-Bele Road in Adamawa State for N26.829 billion.

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Fashola said the contract for the Achingali-Udobi-Udona-Umuwana-Ubakala Road, including the bridge, across the Imo River in Imo State, was also approved for the sum of N11.540 billion.

He said the Jarmai-Bashar-Zuruk-Karim Lamido Road, linking Plateau and Taraba States, was approved for the sum of N77.279 billion.

He said the projects are consistent with the ministerial responsibilities his ministry was mandated to execute under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the commitment to improving road transport infrastructure across Nigeria.

“For example, the road that links Plateau and Taraba States, when completed along with the Ibi Bridge, will reduce the journey time from Abuja to Jalingo in Taraba from about 12 hours to about eight hours.

“It will be a significant reduction in journey time and also the other roads will be equally beneficial in bringing down cost of goods, cost of transportation and cost of doing business,” he said.

The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, while briefing, said the FEC approved a revised estimated total cost for the completion of Zungeru-Wushishi Water Supply Project in Niger State in favour of Messr R Services, Zilon Construction Services Joint Venture in the sum of N5.021bn, raising the project from N1.93bn to N6.955bn, inclusive all taxes.

Engr. Adamu said the project that started in 1998 by Niger State Government was transferred to Federal Government.

He said the project was considered because it has huge socio-economic impact on the lives of the people.

“In 2012, there was an effort to revive the project. That was when it was revised from N889 million to N1.9bn. But after the work started and attained about 30 percent completion, funding stopped. So, after coming into office, we did some auditing of the projects inherited in 2015. And we accorded this project medium priority.

“Now that we have almost all our high priority projects in the ministry approaching completion, especially water supply side, we decided to bring this project forward,” he added.