By Chijioke Okoronkwo
The Federal Executive Council(FEC) has approved the draft National Policy on Welding designed to equip small and medium scale industries with necessary skills.
Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, briefed State House correspondents after FEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mohammed said that FEC also approved the procurement of vehicles for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
He said:“And that contract was in favour of Messrs Innoson Manufacturing Company at the total sum of about N660.4million and it is made up of 20 pick-up vehicles and one City Bus.
“And it is in the spirit of encouraging our local industries that the contract was awarded to Innoson Motors.’’
Mohammed said that the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami presented a memo which was approved for the provision of broadband infrastructure for micro-small medium enterprises, tertiary learning institutions in the country.
He said that the administration was passionate about deepening the broadband infrastructure.
“That contract was awarded to various companies for N16. 7million,” the minister said.
Mohammed said the council also approved for the Minister of Communications, the supply, installations and upgrading for new set of new IT communications equipment and furniture for emergency communication centres all over the country.
He said that the contract was awarded for the sum of N668 million.
Mohammed said that there was also the ratification of international Labour Organisation Migrant Workers Supplementary Provision with Nigeria ratifying the 1975 Convention.
He said:“There is also the memo from the Minister of Science and Technology for the approval of the Draft National Policy on Welding.
“This is again to ensure that small and medium scale industries get necessary skilled labour.
“As it is today, most of our welders come from the neighbouring countries and that is the national policy to bridge that gap.’’
Mohammed said that the Minister of Works and Housing presented a memo seeking for the approval of revised estimated total cost of contract for the construction of Patigi-Ada Road in Kwara.
He said that the contract was for augmentation to the total sum of N1.192 billion which would jerk the original contract from N4.3 billion to N5.5 billion.
More so, the minister said that there was an approval for revised estimated total cost of contract for the rehabilitation of Kotangora-Rijau-Tunganmagajiya road section 2, phase 1 in Niger.
“Here, the contractor was seeking for revised cost in the sum of N2.8 billion taking the total contract sim to N6.5 billion,’’ he said. (NAN)
