Nigerian govt approves $526m for power projects in Abia, two others

The Federal Government on Wednesday approved $526 million for the execution of power projects in Abia, Imo, and Benue States.

The Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, also attended the briefing.

Mamman said the council approved $506 million for the extension of transmission lines in Umuahia, Abia and Mbano in Imo State.

He said an additional N34 million was approved as local content for the transmission line projects.

The minister said: “The cost for the extension of transmission lines in Abia and Imo States is $506,324.40 million plus N34,034,000 local content cost.”

He said the council also approved $8.6million for the construction of three sub-stations at Zaki-Biam, Benue and Bichi and Kanyi in Kano State.

Mamman added: “On the amount for the construction of three sub-stations in Zaki-Biam, Benue State and Bichi and Kanyi, Kano State – the one in Zaki-Biam is $8.6 million offshore and N2.08 billion onshore.

“The second one in Bichi is $9.6 million plus N1.7 billion local content cost while the one in Kanyi, Kano State, is $9.5 million plus N1.7 billion.”

On his part, Nwajiuba said the council approved N190.5 million for the purchase of a microscope for the University of Ibadan.

He said the approval for the purchase of the microscope was part of the federal government’s efforts to revitalise and reposition the nation’s education sector.

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“In continuation of efforts by the Federal Government to revitalise and reposition the education sector, council passed a resolution granting the request of the University of Ibadan to acquire a new microscope.

“This is a microscope which is totally directed at enhancing whatever material, looking at nuclear composition of its molecular nature.

“This is in our premier university. The Department of Anatomy at the university has been at the forefront of this coordinate research in Nigeria for many years since its inception in 1948.

“The first of such equipment was given to us in 1967 by the Japanese government, but it has become obsolete.

“The Federal Government has had the opportunity to review many of the requests from the university authorities, including those of the Academic Staff Union of Universities,’’ the minister added.

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