Nigeria Wednesday approved massive infrastructure projects, worth a total of N179,133,700,684.11 (N179.13 billion or a little over US$ 1 billion), for the execution of 44 projects in the nine states in the Niger Delta region as part of the post-amnesty programme, PANA reported.
The Federal Executive Council, which approved the projects, also approved contracts worth N14.9 billion for the development of the newly-established Federal Oil and Gas Polytechnic in Bayelsa State and another N5.72 billion to upgrade the Petroleum Technology Institute, Effurum, Delta State.
The 44 projects included the construction of bridges, roads, drainages, hospitals and acquisition of hospital equipment, provision of water, educational facilities and environmental impact assessment programmes.
A breakdown of the projects shows that Abia has four projects worth a total of N9 billion, Akwa Ibom (four projects) worth N10.2 billion, Bayelsa (six projects worth N29 billion and Cross River State (three projects) worth N6.1 billion.
Other beneficiaries are Delta (six projects) worth N50 billion, Edo (three projects) worth N7 billion, Imo (four projects) worth N6.5 billion, Ondo (three projects) worth (22.5 billion and Rivers (11 projects) worth N35.6 billion.
The projects would be executed through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
A source in the Presidency told PANA the projects would be funded from the Federal Governmentâ?s share of the US$ 2 billion excess crude account (about $950 million) shared a fortnight ago among the three tiers of the Local, State and Federal Government.
Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akuinyili, told journalists at the end of the council meeting, presided by President Umaru Yarâ?Adua, that following deliberations between the Niger Delta stakeholders and the federal g o vernment, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) was mandated to establish a Federal Polytechnic of oil and gas in Ekoye.
Akuinyili said the institution would specialise in petroleum, oil and gas and environmental engineering studies and will be handed over to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for academic and administrative purposes on completion.
Already, she said, the NBTE has appointed a rector and a management board for the polytechnic.
According to her, â?the PTDF has commenced the first phase of the project which comprised infrastructural development such as departmental buildings, lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, hostels, library, administrative blocks and ancillary facilities and are at various stages of completion.
The memo on the Federal Polytechnic was presented by Yarâ?Adua for the approval of the council, which it duly endorsed.
Akuinyili said the council also gave approval for the award of contracts for the upgrading of facilities at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, and the development of the National College of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna.
She noted that â?part of the programme of action approved by government for PTDF was the upgrading of the infrastructure and facilities at the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, in a bid to address the problem of inadequate indigenous middle level technical manpower in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. The contract sum was N5.727 billion.’
The projects to be upgraded include the supply, installation and commissioning of test simulator, drilling training simulator, commissioning of units operations laboratory, coiled tubing simulator and completion of two hostels.
According to the minister, FEC also approved the contract for the development of the National College of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, at a total cost of N412,404 million, so as to enhance skills and competence of oil and gas industry personnel at the senior technical, general management and senior executive levels.
The FEC also approved the National Emergency Management Agency’s (NEMA) request for the procurement of one unit M1-17 Search and Rescue Helicopter to enhance its statutory functions, at a cost of US$ 14.141 million.
The hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also benefited from the council’s largess, with the approval of a contract worth US $785,968 for the supply and installation of radiology equipment.
Akuinyili explained that the approval would enable the FCT administration improve its healthcare delivery system through the provision of adequate modern facilities to the hospitals in the territory.