The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved N1.8billion for the National Automotive Design and Development Council, NADDC, to procure and install automotive/mechatronics equipment in special centers in six geopolitical zones of the country.
Addressing the State House correspondents shortly after the virtual FEC meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, also said the approved fund will cover three pilot workshops and automotive service hubs initiated by the NADDC.
He explained that the reason for the project, “is that with the kind of vehicles being manufactured today, we need training institutes that will train our mechanics and our youths how to maintain and service these vehicles.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mohammed Bello, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha, said that the memos from the ministries were also approved by the FEC. He said, “I will start with the Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration whose memo for the award and contract of the final design of engineering infrastructure and production of tendered documents for Kabusa district phase three of the FCT, Abuja an area of about 850 hectares which will be a mixed-use of both private and government, residential and offices.
It was approved for the sum of N183, 709, 480, 50k to Messrs Techno Engineering, and Consult Limited. “The Minister of Aviation also presented a memo seeking approval for the rehabilitation of the various screening machines nationwide at the cost of N654 million.
You would notice that with the incident of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new protocol sanctioned by IATA and other Aviation authorities has now come into our airports which entails more of social distancing. So you need more points to screen passengers and their luggage. So this is what has necessitated for the rehabilitation of those screening machines that have broken down.
