The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved several policy measures and infrastructure projects as President Bola Tinubu moves to tackle key economic and social challenges across the country.
At the meeting held Wednesday at the State House, Abuja, and presided over by the President, the council considered proposals aimed at addressing challenges in the power sector, civil service welfare, infrastructure development, healthcare delivery and education.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu is considering the establishment of a Grid Asset Management Company to address persistent challenges in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network.
According to Idris, the proposed initiative will focus on strengthening the transmission segment of the power sector, which government believes remains the major bottleneck in Nigeria’s electricity value chain.
“The President has said that the problem mainly in our quest to solve the power problem is largely in the transmission section. Therefore, Mr President came with a bill mulling the idea of setting up what is called the Grid Asset Management Company,” Idris said.
He explained that a multi-ministerial committee has been established to work out the legal, regulatory and operational framework for the initiative before presenting it to the National Assembly.
Members of the committee include the Minister of Power, Minister of State for Gas, Minister of Works, Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Nigeria Legal Service and the Minister of Science and Technology.
The council also approved a new exit-benefit scheme for retiring civil servants under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Idris said the scheme will allow retiring workers in treasury-funded ministries, departments and agencies to receive up to 100 per cent of their total emoluments as additional benefits.
The decision, he noted, is aimed at improving morale and efficiency within the civil service.
In the area of infrastructure, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, announced that FEC approved several road and bridge projects across the country.
Among them is the revival of the Suleja–Minna Road project, which had previously stalled after the original contractor failed to complete the work.
Umahi said part of the project will now be handled by CGC and CCECC following the termination of the earlier contract.
The council also approved ₦5.6 billion for Advanced Engineering Consultants to handle the design and costing of the proposed demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos.
In addition, FEC approved the reconstruction of several strategic road corridors including the Kano–Kongolam Road project spanning Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, the Abuja–Lokoja road section, the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa dual carriageway and Phase Two of the Keffi–Nasarawa–Abaji road rehabilitation.
Umahi disclosed that the government aims to complete at least four major infrastructure projects in each geopolitical zone for presidential commissioning by May 15.
The council also approved two key health sector interventions.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said FEC approved ₦9.99 billion for the procurement of antiretroviral drugs to sustain Nigeria’s HIV treatment programme.
He added that the contract was awarded to Fixing HealthCare, which will work with international partners to strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
FEC also approved the upgrade and training support for radiotherapy services in six cancer treatment centres, one in each geopolitical zone.
In the education sector, the council approved a six-year moratorium on the establishment of new tertiary institutions including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, said the decision was taken to focus on improving quality rather than expanding the number of institutions.
According to him, Nigeria now has sufficient tertiary institutions and government must prioritise strengthening existing universities and ensuring financial sustainability for private institutions.
FEC also approved the restoration of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education as an independent commission after it was earlier converted into a department within the Ministry of Education.
Alausa said the move will support government’s goal of improving literacy and digital education among millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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