Abuja-Kaduna road: Infiouest not Infoquest awarded contract, active, says Minister Umahi – Newstrends
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Abuja-Kaduna road: Infiouest not Infoquest awarded contract, active, says Minister Umahi

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Abuja-Kaduna road: Infiouest not Infoquest awarded contract, active, says Minister Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has clarified that the contract for Section 2 of the Abuja-Kaduna highway was awarded to Infiouest International Limited, not Infoquest Nigeria Limited as stated in a Daily Trust report of Tuesday.

The minister stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, stressing that the contractor given the project had the capacity to deliver.

Daily Trust had published the status of Infoquest generated at 22:21 (Monday, January 20, 2025) as showing inactive.

The firm was reported to have got “No objection” from the
Bureau of Public Procurement ( BPP)
for the rehabilitation of a section of the
road at N252.89 billion.

It reported a source familiar with the procedures and operations of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, as well as extant laws governing awards of contracts, as saying Infoquest had never paid tax and hurriedly registered as a tax-paying entity in the early hours of Tuesday.

“As of yesterday (Monday), there was no record. It was registered today (Tuesday) with all the details,” the source said.

But the minister also in a statement issued by his media aide, Orji Kalu Orji, said the ministry had no business relationship with Infoquest Nigeria Ltd, but has a contractual relationship with Infiouest International Limited.

He said Infiouest International Limited was “corporately active and is absolutely in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations set by the Companies and Allied Matters Act.”

The statement described the Daily Trust report of Tuesday as “mischievous”.

It said it was a deliberate orchestration to malign the ministry and undermine the efforts of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration in revolutionising road infrastructure development, and to “demarket the company that has proven capacity in road construction.”

It demanded a public apology to be published in at least five national dailies “for unjustifiably publishing falsehoods against the Ministry of Works.”

The statement said that the ministry was facing a coordinated onslaught of “falsehood, blackmail, and gang-up by adversaries to the policy of the government because of the ministry’s insistence on a new order of value for money, quality assurance, and best practices in project pricing and execution.”

He urged the public and the media to join in what he called “a desirable fight against national sabotage by some contractors”.

During his press conference, the minister described Infiouest International Limited as capable of completing the Abuja-Kaduna highway as the company had conducted several projects in the country.

“Some of its equipment is leased to Julius Berger Construction Company,” Umahi added.

“We want the public to know that we are facing a backlash. Corruption is fighting back.

“ut I want the public to know that our hands are very clean and those who are demarketing us, we have not collected any kobo from anybody, we are insisting that the taxpayers should have value for their money,” he said.

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Nigeria seeks fresh $300m W’Bank loan for health security

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Nigeria seeks fresh $300m W’Bank loan for health security

The Federal Government has engaged the World Bank for a new $300 million loan aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s health security infrastructure.

According to World Bank documents, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) will implement the project, with the Federal Ministry of Finance acting as the borrower.

The initiative aims to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies.

The project is currently in the pipeline stage, with a disclosure date set for February 6, 2025.

The World Bank Board is expected to approve it on July 30, 2025, after necessary appraisals and assessments. Implementation will commence in the 2026 fiscal year.

The Nigeria Health Security Programme (HeSP) will focus on expanding molecular laboratory capacity, upgrading primary healthcare centres, establishing emergency operation centres and deploying mobile laboratories.

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Others are constructing warehouses for medical supplies, installing water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities and integrating solar energy systems to power health infrastructure.

The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s public health infrastructure, following lessons from past outbreaks, including COVID-19.

This latest loan request comes as Nigeria continues to rely heavily on external financing. Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Federal Government has secured $6.95 billion in World Bank loans over the past 18 months.

Data from the Debt Management Office shows that Nigeria owes the World Bank $17.32 billion, with the International Development Association (IDA) accounting for $16.84 billion.

In the first nine months of 2024, Nigeria spent $3.58 billion servicing its foreign debt, a 39.77% increase from $2.56 billion during the same period in 2023.

Nigeria seeks fresh $300m W’Bank loan for health security

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CBN to sanction banks limiting ATM withdrawal below N20,000

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CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso

CBN to sanction banks limiting ATM withdrawal below N20,000

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has threatened to sanction banks that limit Automated Teller Machines (ATM) withdrawal to less than N20,000 per transaction.

The apex bank disclosed this in a document addressing concerns over the reviewed fees on ATM withdrawal.

Recall that CBN on Tuesday increased ATM transaction withdrawal fees, saying, from March 1st, bank customers will pay N100 charge for every N20,000 withdrawal from the on-site  ATM of other  banks.

The CBN in a circular to banks and other financial institutions, the CBN said,  “ATM Transaction Fees On-Us for customers withdrawing at the ATM of the customer’s financial institution in Nigeria with No charge.

“Not-On-Us for withdrawal from another institution’s ATM in Nigeria; On-site ATMs will attract a charge of N100 per N20,000 withdrawal.

“Off-site ATMs will attract  a charge of N100 plus a surcharge of not more than N500 per N20,000 withdrawal.

“The surcharge, which is an income of the ATM deployer/acquirer, shall be disclosed at the point of withdrawal to the consumer.

“International Withdrawals (per transaction) whether debit/credit card: Cost Recovery – exact charge by international acquirer.

“Furthermore, the three free monthly withdrawals allowed for Remote-On-Us (other bank’s customers/Not-On-Us consumers) in Nigeria under Section 10.6.2 of the Guide shall no longer apply.”

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However, following widespread concerns over the limit on ATM cash withdrawal by banks, the apex and yesterday released a list Frequently Asked Question, FAQ, to clarify implementation of the new charge.

CBN to sanction banks limiting ATM withdrawal below N20,000

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Google CEO meets Tinubu over AI skills expansion in Nigeria

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Google CEO meets Tinubu over AI skills expansion in Nigeria

The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Paris, where both leaders discussed a partnership to expand Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills in Nigeria.

Pichai first shared a picture of the meeting with Tinubu on X, noting that the discussions centered on the immense potential of AI in Nigeria.

“It was great meeting with President Tinubu @officialABAT. 

“We talked about the immense potential of AI in Nigeria, and how we can partner to expand AI skills, enable innovation, and support Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem,” Pichai posted.  

Commitment to AI in Nigeria 

Responding to the post, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who was also at the meeting, described the discussions as “extremely productive”.

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According to him, the meeting demonstrated the Nigerian government’s commitment to AI and Google’s ongoing support towards developing AI skills and innovation in critical sectors in Nigeria.

Last year, Google announced two separate AI initiatives in Nigeria in partnership with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, both aimed at empowering Nigerians with AI skills.

In the first initiative, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR),  a N100 million AI Fund backed by Google to support Nigerian startups that are leveraging AI to develop innovative solutions.

The second initiative was a N2.8 billion support from Google to accelerate AI talent development across Nigeria.

According to the Ministry, the support, which was provided as a grant from Google.org to Data Science Nigeria, would bolster its ongoing AI-driven initiatives to upskill youth and under- and unemployed Nigerians, with a focus on AI skill development and education.

Google CEO meets Tinubu over AI skills expansion in Nigeria

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