FEC approves N18bn for Kano, Calabar free trade zones

The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N18.1bn for the development of infrastructure at the nation’s free trade and economic zones.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced this on Wednesday in Abuja, while addressing state house correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting.

Mohammed gave the affected zones as Kano and Calabar free trade zones, as well as the textile and garment park and the special economic zone in Lagos.

He said the approval was of critical importance to the infrastructure development plan of the country.

FEC also approved N9.24bn as premium for insurance firms that will manage federal civil servants group life insurance in the country.

The group life insurance is a joint regulation of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and National Pension Commission (PenCom).

Section 9 (3) of the Pension Reform Act 2004 (now PRA 2014) requires that every employer, to which the Act applies, to maintain Life Insurance Policy in favour of the employee for a minimum of three times the annual total emolument of the employee. The policy provides cover to the insured against death.

Mohammed said, “On behalf of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, I will like to report that council today approved the award of contract for the appointment of insurance companies for group life assurance for federal government employees, public servants paramilitary and the intelligence community for the year 2021-2022 in the sum of N9, 248. 995, 907 and this premium is for a period of 12 months.

“This is part of the government’s welfare programme for our public employees so that in case of death, they are assured that there would be compensation.”

The Federal Government last year paid about N15bn premium under the group life insurance scheme to insure over 89,000 workers across the country.

Mohammed said FEC also approved N18.1bn for the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; N864.7m for two road contacts abandoned by previous administrations; and N1.1bn for the procurement of aviation security uniforms and accessories for use in various airports across the country.

“Minister of Aviation got an approval for the award of contract for direct procurement for the design, manufacture and supply of aviation security uniforms and accessories. The sum total is N1,127, 945. The unique thing about uniforms for the aviation industry is that it has some International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards that would be followed,” he said.

“The Minister of Niger Delta got approval for Okpula-Igwartanta Phase I linking Imo and Rivers state, started in 2010. He got approval for a variation of N620, 763, 000. He also got approval for erosion flood control on Ndemili-Utagba-Onitsha road in Delta State, started in 2014. The council today approved N244m to augment the original contract sum.”