FG okays N6b for NDIC projects

Targets 5m tons cooking gas usage by 2023

FEDERAL Government has voted about N5.72 billion for construction and consultancy services that were contracted by Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation for provision of new office complexes throughout the federation.

  The approval was made by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting which was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at State House, Abuja.

  Briefing newsmen, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said that N3.23 billion was approved for construction of NDIC Zonal office in Bauchi State while N2.49 billion was approved for consultancy services for stage three works on NDIC corporate offices in Abuja and Lagos.

  Also while fielding questions from State House Correspondents, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika disclosed that FEC approved N574 million for insurance of College of Aviation in Zaria.

  According to him, N271 million was approved for perimeter fencing of Port Harcourt International Airport, which he added, has been abandoned since 2011.

  Another project that got FEC’s nod was supply of land mobile security scanner at Lagos port which received N718 million.

  In a related development, Programme Manager of National LPG Expansion Plan, Dayo Adeshina, yesterday said that Federal Government was targeting the consumption of five million tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) known as cooking gas by Nigerians in 2023.

  He dropped this hint at the 13th Edition of the Oil Trading and Logistics (OTL Africa Downstream) Conference in Lagos.

  According to Adeshina, the government will require about $750 million worth of LPG transport and retailing infrastructure across the country to achieve the target.

  “The government is targeting increasing household LPG consumption from the current 750,000 tons to two million tons by 2021 towards achieving the goal. “The approach for rapid scaling of LPG usage requires combination of awareness/sensitisation, infrastructure delivery and funding, starting with household usage. Government is creating awareness using various media to target focus population in this regard,” he said.

  It will be recalled that National LPG Expansion Plan is domiciled in the Office of Vice President Osinbajo.