Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its weekly meeting on Wednesday with the approval of N3.4 billion for the construction of second runway for Nnnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja.
Briefing newsmen at the end of the Council meeting, presidential spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, disclosed that N3.4 billion was approved as post contract consultancy fee for the construction of a 2nd runway at the Nnnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja.
He added that the council also approved N449.9 million for the engagement of consultants for the development of masterplan for 17 airports in Nigeria.
His words: “FEC approved N449.9 million for the engagement of consultants for the development of masterplan for 17 airports in Nigeria. The benefiting airports are located in Lagos, Abuja, Portharcourt, Kano, Owerri, Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri, Yola, Kaduna, Calabar, Ilorin, Sokoto, Ibadan, Jos, Akure and Katsina.
“The council also approved for post contract consultancy amounting to N3.4 billion for the construction of the 2nd runway and associated faculties at the Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, Abuja.”
Also briefing newsmen, Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Sunday Dare, said FEC approved N2.4 billion for the construction of a National Sports Medicine and High Performance Center at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
According to him: “The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development presented just one memo. The memo has to do with the National Sports Medicine and High Performance Center and the construction of a High Performance Center at the Package B of the Moshood Abiola Stadium.
“Over time in the last past decades, one of the drawbacks of sports development and athletes development has been the lack of a high performance center. Global sports development practice has High Performance Center as a major component of conditioning its athletes, it takes your athletes beyond just raw talent to some level of sports science and precision.
“The lack of that scientific input into our sports development over time has not helped us to reach the maximum podium performance that can be attained by athletes”.
On his part, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mahmood Abubakar, disclosed that Council approved the National Dairy Policy to regulate Nigeria’s dairy industry to satisfy demand for milk and other products.
“The memorandum presented to Council today was to seek Council approval for the draft National Dairy Policy to regulate the Nigerian dairy industry by providing a framework and guiding principles for the development of an efficient dairy sub sector to satisfy the national demand for milk and dairy products.
“We have always been talking about food security, but we realize that food and nutrition security goes hand in hand”, he said.
Minister of Transportation, Muazu Sambo said Council approved N4.3 billion for the procurement of security gadgets for the Nigeria Railway Corporation.
According to him, the equipment include scanners, metal and bomb detectors and narcotics detectors among others explaining that the gadgets will help improve security in the rail transportation segment in the wake of rising security challenges.
He also informed that Council approved a total sum of N8.6 billion for the purchase of houses that will serve as office accommodation for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in Port Harcourt and Abuja.
