FEC Approves $150m Loan for Polio Eradication

*Approves N348.594bn for construction of Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday in Abuja approved $150 million credit facility to aid federal government's effort in polio eradication.

Briefing journalists at the end of the weekly FEC meeting, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the proposed credit facility would be the third additional financing that would build upon substantial past investments.

Adeosun, who said the past investments had paid off, added that the country was now on the verge of polio eradication, explaining that the objective of the project was to assist the federal government with the facility as part of global polio eradication moves.

According to her, the country had achieved and sustained at least 80 percent coverage on oral polio vaccine (OPV) immunisation in every state of the country and consequently improved routine immunisation.

Adeosun, who said the project would be implemented in 12 lagging states of Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara, added that the project would be coordinated by National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) at the federal level.

She enumerated three components of the proposed project to include: polio eradication support, routine immunisation support and routine immunisation system strengthening.

The minister also said FEC approved the award of a contract for the supply and installation of rapiscan mobile cargo scanner-eagle M60 into the Nigeria integrated customs information system II of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

According to her, the contract is meant for the procurement of three units of rapiscan mobile cargo scanner-eagle M60 including 30 months on-site service and support and maintenance, training of 120 officers and integration of rapiscan eagle M60 scanners into Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II (NICIS II).

She said the scanners would be purchased from Messrs Air Waves Limited at the sum of N8,047 billion.

Adeosun said: "Currently, there are no functional scanners in all the ports for the operations of NCS as the once previously installed are now unserviceable. The development has negative effect on the operations of the service.

"To solve this challenge, NCS has identified Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60 as a suitable option and Messrs Air Waves Limited is an accredited representative of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Messrs Rapiscan Systems Limited, United States, with vast operational experience which is transferred to clients through technology and skill development programmes."

Also briefing, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said FEC also approved N348.594 billion contract for the construction of a 420.6-kilometre Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road.

According to him, the scope of the project include the expansion of the current two-lane highway into a dual carriage way.

Fashola, who said the duration of the project would be 48 months, recalled that FEC had previously approved Abuja-Keffi road as well as Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road in the North-central.

He also recalled that in May this year, FEC approved Ninth Mile Enugu-Makurdi road which according to him, connects the South-east to the North-central.