FEC okays N58.48bn road projects linking Niger, Kwara

The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved N58.48 billion for the Bida-Saachi-Nupeko Road project and the Nupeko-Pategi Bridge project, which links Niger and Kwara States.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the cabinet meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The minister said that the project would also facilitate connectivity from the southwest to the north-central. Fashola said it was an old contract that was awarded in 2013, terminated for none performance, but revaluated. “It didn’t have a bridge then. So, we have added the bridge now, approved for 58.488 billion and is expected to take 30 months,” he added.

The minister, who fielded questions from journalists, on the state of roads across the country, said the rainy season delayed road construction and rehabilitation. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, said a Nigerian start-up founder, Abdulhakim Bashir, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, emerged winner in the Artificial Intelligence category final of the Startup Innovation competition. The Startup Innovation competition was organized by the Dubai’s World Trade Centre to bring out innovative spirits in young startup owners. Bashir’s innovation, Chiniki Guard, is a security application developed to prevent shoplifting in stores and theft in residential houses. Pantami said the winner was among 10 innovators he led to the GITEX, adding that one was selected from each geo-political zone, while four were chosen based on merits after receiving entries from 168.