ABUJA— THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday, approved N22.247 billion for the reconstruction of Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway Phase Section Two.

Briefing newsmen at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the project is bit land interchange, 8.1km stretch.

Alhaji Mohammed, who gave the briefing on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that additional N8 billion was approved for the dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri Road, which is about 560 kilometres.

He said: “On behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing, I want to report that he presented a memo which was approved in council today (Wednesday) for the award of a contract for the reconstruction of the Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway Phase Section Two, which is Bit land Interchange, 8.1 kilometre stretch.

“You will recall that in 2018, the Federal Government approved an award of contract to Dangote Industry for the sum of N72 billion.

“By the time the award was made, there was this section of the road that was in fairly good condition.

“But with the construction of the Oworonsoki project coming to an end, it now makes better sense to include that section which was fairly good.

“This contract was awarded today(Wednesday) for the sum of N22,247,332,000. But you must know that this is one of the projects being awarded under Infrastructural Tax Credit Scheme.

“In other words, it is awarded to Dangote and Dangote will construct it and over the years, it will be deducted from the tax payable by the group.

“It is one of various means of PPP that this administration has embraced. It is not only restricted to Oworonsoki-Apapa Road, it is the same system that is being used in Obajana-Kaba Road.

“Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) is also using the same formula for the bridge to link Bonny and Boro in Rivers State.

“Another memo which he (Fashola) presented was for the award of contract for the dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri Road. That is Section One. That is Kano-Wudil-Shuarin section.

“This is about 560 kilometres contract between Kano and Maiduguri. The section awarded today (Wednesday) is actually more of approval for an estimated total cost.

“They found out that at the time of the award of the contract, certain conditions have to be known.

“He sought for a revision and an increment in the sum of N8 billion, which will bring the total cost of the contract to N63 billion. It was approved by council today(Wednesday).”