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Tag: FEC

  • BREAKING: FEC approves repair of Port Harcourt refinery

    BREAKING: FEC approves repair of Port Harcourt refinery

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved 1.5billion dollars for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Refinery in Rivers State.

    Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the rehabilitation will be done in three phases of 18, 24 and 44 months.

    The minister stated that the rehabilitation was in fulfilment of Federal Government’s desire to resuscitate the country’s refineries to reduce the cost of processing petroleum products as well as boost the economy.

    He said: “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources presented a memo on the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Refinery for the sum of 1.5 billion dollars, and that memo was 1.5 billion dollars and it was approved by council today.

    “So, we are happy to announce that the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery will commence forthwith. It is in three phases.

    “The first phase is to be completed in 18 months, which will take the refinery to a production of 90 per cent of its nameplate capacity.

    “The second phase is completed in 24 months and all the final stages will be completed in 44 months and consultations are approved.

    “I believe that this is good news for Nigerians. The rehabilitation of refineries have commenced.”

    The minister also disclosed that an Italian company would undertake the repairs and a maintenance company would also be put in place, to ensure effective maintenance culture.

    “The contractor that was approved by council today is Tecnimont, SPA of Italy.

    “Talking about operations and maintenance, that has been a big problem for our refineries and that was also exhaustively discussed in council and the agreement is that we are going to appoint a professional operations and maintenance and operations company to manage the refinery when it is finally rehabilitated.

    “It is actually one of the conditions presented by the lenders, because the lenders said they can give us the money if we have a professional operations and maintenance company and that already is embedded in our discussions with the lenders. We’re not going back on that,” he said.

    According to Sylva, the needed fund for the rehabilitation work has been earmarked, saying the funding will be shouldered by the federal government, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Africa Export-Import Bank AFREXIM.

    The minister assured that rehabilitation works on Kaduna and Warri refineries would also be carried out on or before May 2023.

  • Buhari presides over 38th virtual FEC

    Buhari presides over 38th virtual FEC

    President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the 38th virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari are physically attending the meeting, which started at 09:00 GMT.
    Eleven Ministers are physically attending the meeting. They are those of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Finance, Zainab Ahmed, Justice, Abubakar Malami, Agriculture Sabo Nanono and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
    Others are the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Industry Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire and Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva as well as that of Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba.
    The Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan and other Ministers are participating in the weekly cabinet meeting from their various offices in Abuja.
  • FEC approves N500m variation for road project in Delta State

    FEC approves N500m variation for road project in Delta State

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N500 million as variation for the completion of a road project in Delta State.

    Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio made this known when he briefed State House correspondents, at the end of the Council meeting, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chamber, Abuja, on Wednesday.

    According to him, the road is a project of the Niger-Delta Ministry, which has already attained 97 percent completion.

    He said: “The Ministry of Niger-Delta Affairs presented two memos today at the Federal Executive Council and both were approved.

    “One was just augmentation or a variation of the contract for the construction of a road in Bulu-Oriagbene, Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta.

    “The road is about 18.7 kilometres and the initial contract price was about N8.5 billion and with the variation price today, the contract price is now about N9 billion and the Federal executive Council today approved that variation.’’

    The minister revealed that the contractors had been given six months to complete the project.

    Akpabio also disclosed that the council approved the floating of a digital platform where projects executed by his ministry could be monitored at all times.

    “The second memo I presented was on what we call Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP), for the Niger Delta region.

    “The intention here is to have a web-based monitoring system, an e-portal where all the agencies under us and development partners as well as non-governmental organisations including states and local governments that are involved in implementing projects in the Niger Delta region.

    “We will have all their projects keyed into that portal.

    “This is to ensure that at the touch of the button you can see what each company, state or local government or international organisation is doing as they add value to the Niger Delta region.”

    He explained that the portal was being introduced to help in coordinating the activities of the agencies, and also prevent duplication of projects.

    According to Akpabio, the Niger Delta Ministry has so far completed 50 projects and are now awaiting inauguration.

    He said the delay in inaugurating the affected projects was as a result of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

  • FEC returns life to the DSO, By Okoh Aihe

    FEC returns life to the DSO, By Okoh Aihe

    By Okoh Aihe

    Nigeria is not starved of good people to do us proud. On Monday, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala demonstrated this in making history as the first African and first woman ever to become the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to global acclaim. Her first virtual press conference espoused the qualities for which the world picked this international economist and development expert to be admitted into the revered inner sanctum of universal civil service.

    Few hours earlier, in faraway Las Vegas in Nevada, Kamaru Usman demonstrated that Nigeria wasn’t lacking brave hearts as he successfully defended his UFC welterweight title against Gilbert Burns and totally annihilated the unfortunate fellow in the third round. Raw power of the highest sort properly channeled into usefulness. A commentator even said he had a PhD in cage fight! That is the height of dexterity and accomplishment.

    As it is always, we look at the pecuniary end of everything, the naira and kobo view imposed by government policies and conditions that are lacking in substance and articulation. But I see the scarf of the Nigerian colours of green-white-green, made of Nigerian fabric (Aso Oke) around Okonjo-Iweala’s neck; I see the Nigerian Flag draped at Usman’s corner of the cage, and I see a Nigeria in full flight, ready to take on the global community with our best eleven on the pitch.

    But not so at home. Our best eleven are very far away from the playing pitch because of ethnocentric factors that are tearing the country apart and the leadership is complicit for their inability to deal with it. Good news have been so much in deficit here that you literally have to scavenge for them. This is why Okonji-Iweala brings a nourishing breather.

    Apart from the crushing story of near anarchy unfolding in the land, I started feeling some elation from mid last week when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, announced the approval by Council of N9.4bn to fast track the Digital Switchover (DSO) process which, for long, had floundered in Nigeria.

    The Digital Switchover process commenced in July 2006 under the auspices of the ITU and was expected to end by 2015 and 2020 respectively. The process would free up broadcast frequencies for uptake by the telecommunications industry for mobile, broadband and last mile connectivity services to the various ends of a country. For Nigeria, this would put more phones in the hands of people, further stimulate the data sector and extend more affordable services even to areas where telecommunications services are yet to berth. Unfortunately, Nigeria missed both cuts.

    Expressing regrets, Mohammed said, “We were not able to make it. But with the approval of this memo by today, we would be striving to switch from analogue to digital.”

    “The effect of the move today is that the digital switchover is real and the economic effect of it will be the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in content production, channel distribution, Nollywood and electronic appliance productions to service about 20million Nigerian homes. At the end of the switchover, we would have created the biggest free to air TV platform in Africa. I will be announcing a ministerial task force that will execute the council resolve, either this week or next,” an excited minister informed.

    It doesn’t matter anymore that Nigeria was failing in the process very dismally. What for me is more important is that the government has taken a major decision that will rev up the digital switchover engine. And this is much better than anything that has come from Mohammed for weeks.

    Really it can be very exhausting to watch a minister declare that this government has done more to secure the nation than any other government. And following after that are images of burnt houses, a number of deaths and all kinds of depressing things too benumbing for the body to manage. We seem to be insulated from the chaos around us as we throw figures about the place, forgetting always, that truth is measured by the reality on ground.

    On the DSO, Mohammed scores very high. And this is what government is all about – to breathe life into dying or dead processes and give the ordinary folks something to hope for. The DSO is returning to life and the world can begin to see us differently again. Mind you, the N9.4bn is little drop in a sea of needs, like a measure of tea spoon from a swimming pool. But, at least, a journey has started with all fervency.

    Acting Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the body executing the DSO process for Nigeria, Prof Armstrong Idachaba, also looked very relieved on Monday as we x-rayed the DSO journey so far. While trying to make a strong impact at takeoff point, the Commission took some decisions, including going into agreement with some service providers without following due process. The Commission suddenly found itself with over N12bn debt overhang. The process was trapped, with the various stakeholders nearly submitting to a stupefying helplessness. Thankfully, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) made a redeeming intervention, offering professional advice and clearing the way forward.

    “It is a relief for everybody. You can’t drive a process with credibility issues. The issue of support by governments – Federal, States and Local Councils – is key to the success of the DSO project,” he told this writer.

    Suddenly, Idachaba observed, the intervention has infused transparency and confidence into the process, thus challenging all parties involved in the project delivery to expedite action by way of responding to the good faith demonstrated by government.

    Expectedly, this FEC approval will take care of legacy debts owed service providers, including signal distributors and set top box manufacturers. Then the real game for the survival of the DSO will begin. All pretenses will be thrown over board and the various stakeholders will have to re-strategize to deliver the DSO as it was originally conceived. After what seems to be a bailout intervention, the DSO will have to fend for itself and sort out its complexities.

    Okoh Aihe writes from Abuja.

  • FEC approves N9.4bn to complete digital switch-over

    FEC approves N9.4bn to complete digital switch-over

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved N9.43 billion to complete the digital switch over, which had previously missed the deadline set for implementation.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting in Abuja.

    Mohammed said the council also endorsed a Memorandum of Understanding between the ministry and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bankers Committee for the renovation of the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, at the cost of N31.8 billion.

    On the digital switch over, the minister said: “As you know, the ITU had two cut off dates, one in 2017 another in 2020, where nations were supposed to completed their movement from analogue to digital. Regrettably, we were not able to make it.

    “But with the approval of this memo today, we would be striving to switch from analogue to digital.

    “We will now agree on a date for a launch in the biggest cities like Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt. And we will start the switch off in the already switched on states.

    “The effect of the move today is that, digital switch over is now real and the economic effect of it will be the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in content production, channel distribution, Nollywood and electronic appliance productions to service about 20 million Nigerian homes.

    “At the end of the switch over, we would have created the biggest free to air TV platform in Africa. I will be announcing a ministerial task force that will execute the council resolve either this week or next.”

    The minister described the endorsement of the Memorandum of Understanding between the ministry and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Bankers Committee for the renovation of the National Theatre, Iganmu Lagos, as a landmark approval.

    He said: “This is a landmark approval because it has pave the way for investment in the creative industry as part of the resolve of this government to creat at least one million jobs in the next three years in the creative industry.

    “The approval of these two memos is capable of creating one million jobs in the next three years.

    “President had in 2020 gave approval to the CBN and the Bankers Committee, to develop, refurbish, renovate the National Theatre and at the same time take over the adjourning lands to create a veritable creative industry where they will be four hubs. One for films, one for music, one for IT and the other for fashion.

    “The memo today was for the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to enter into Memorandum of Understanding for the refurbishment of the National Theatre.

    “The CBN and Bankers Committee are willing to invest N21.894 billion to renovate, refurbish and commercialisation (run it profitably) of the National Theatre complex.

    According to the minister, the MoU has a life span of 21 years after which it will revert back to government.

    “The important thing is that no job will be lost because after the National Theatre is renovated, a special purpose vehicle will be created to run it.

    “It cannot be business as usual, it will be a turning point in the creative industry in the sense that we are going to have a brand new National Theatre, an event centre that will help in creating more jobs,’’ he added.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, disclosed that the council approved N8.4 billion for the construction of a dam for the Damaturu Water Supply project in Yobe.

    Adamu expressed optimism that the approval would help address water supply challenges facing the inhabitants of the state occasioned by the activities of insurgents.

    He said: “I presented a memo for the construction of Damaturu water supply project in Yobe State in favour of three contractors at a total sum of N8.43 billion.

    “The contracts divided into three are all groundwater or borehole-based projects spread over a wide distance because they are covering three major cities.

    “They will be mostly solar based and also they are in response to the critical needs of these localities within Yobe State, especially as they have been suffering a lot because these areas are affected by the Boko Haram insurgency which started several years ago and therefore, we need to support their water supply needs.

    “These are high Sahelian regions where surface water is difficult to come by so we hope that by this intervention, the water supply in these locations would be greatly enhanced.”

    According to the minister, the project has a completion period of 24 months.

  • FG approves establishment of additional 20 private universities [Full list]

    FG approves establishment of additional 20 private universities [Full list]

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of additional 20 private universities across the country.

    Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, revealed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.

    According to Adamu, the approved universities will get their provisional licences from the National Universities Commission (NUC), which they will use for the next three years while monitoring and evaluation will go on.

    The approved universities are: Topfaith University, Mkpatak, Akwa Ibom, Thomas Adewumi University, Oko-Irese, Kwara, Maranathan University, Mgbidi, Imo, Ave Maria University, Piyanko, Nasarawa State and Al-Istiqama University, Sumaila, Kano State.

    Others are: Mudiame University, Irrua, Edo, Havilla University, Nde-Ikom, Cross River, Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, Imo , NOK University, Kachia, Kaduna State and Karl-Kumm University, Vom, Plateau.

    James Hope University, Lagos, Lagos State, Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria, Kano, Kano State, Capital City University, Kano, Kano State, Ahman Pategi University, Pategi, Kwara and University of Offa, Offa, Kwara, also got provisional approval

    Others are: Mewar University, Masaka, Nasarawa State, Edusoko University, Bida, Niger, Philomath University, Kuje, Abuja, Khadija University, Majia, Jigawa and Anan University, Kwall, Plateau.

    Nine of the private universities are located in North Central, three in South South, two in South East, five in the North West and one in South West.

    With the approval of additional 20 universities, Nigeria now has 99 private universities .

  • FEC approves Finance Bill 2020

    FEC approves Finance Bill 2020

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved the Finance Bill 2020, to support the 2021 Budget.

    Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, explained the bill designed to bring about incremental changes in the nation’s tax laws.

    The Minister, who briefed correspondents alongside some of her colleagues, however assured that the passage of the bill into law would not lead to increase in taxes in the country.

    Explaining features of the bill, the Minister said the intent of the bill is to ease tax burdens on some categories of enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises.

    She also pointed out that some taxes had already been reduced saying: “In the last Finance Bill 2019, we reduced taxes from 30 percent to 20 percent for enterprises that have turnover of between N25 to N100 million.”

    Ahmed assured that the situation in the country does not warrant increase in taxes, saying: “This is not the time to increase taxes.”

    The bill will soon be transmitted to the National Assembly for its consideration and passage into law.

  • FEC approves N4.5bn for exams papers printing, FCT rural roads

    FEC approves N4.5bn for exams papers printing, FCT rural roads

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a total of N4.5 billion for projects in the Ministry of Education and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

    FEC at a virtual meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, approved a sum of N2.9 billion for the printing of both sensitive and non-sensitive examination materials.

    Addressing State House Correspondents after the meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who was accompanied by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, said the contract was awarded to a group of eight printers.

    The materials are for the Basic Education Certification Examination, the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the National Common Entrance Examination.

    “Today Council approved the award of contract for the printing of examination materials both sensitive and non sensitive and the contract is worth N2.9 billion. It was awarded to a group of eight printers.

    “The materials are for the Besic Education Certification Examination, the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the National Common Entrance.

    “As you know because of the recent disturbances, we have postponed the examinations that have not taken place”, the Minister said.

    Also speaking, the Minister of the FCT, Bello, said the Council approved the sum of N1.619,701,391.14, for the rehabilitation and upgrade of some selected roads in the satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

    He explained that council approved the sum of N900,294,304.75 to fix the roads in Gwagwalada Area Council.

    The contract, which is for the duration of six months, was awarded to Messrs Teleview International Nigeria Limited.

    He said Council also approved a total sum of N719,407,086.38 for the Kwahi Area Council Rural Roads.

    The contract is in favour of Messrs Sahabi Liman Sons Nigeria Limited for the duration of six months.

  • Hon Nwawuba addresses intricacies of PIB

    Hon Nwawuba addresses intricacies of PIB

    Given the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta, Hon Henry Nwawuba has said care must be taken for the National Assembly (NASS) not to pass a bill that will not be of any good to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Hon Nwawuba, at an event organized by the Nigerian Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) on Friday, stated this, while also addressing the intricacies of the much-awaited PIB that was recently forwarded to the NASS by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Noting that petroleum sector reforms started in Nigeria over 18 years ago, the Lawmaker said the entire PIB document forwarded to the NASS by Buhari was yet to be committed to the technical committee for legislative fireworks to commence.

    He said, “Petroleum sector reforms started in Nigeria over 18 years ago. Most of the other countries we started this journey with have moved along in the sector with transparency and accountability while Nigeria is still struggling with the PIB.

    “We have been trying to pass this particular piece of legislation since the 6th Assembly. This matter is now of a certain urgency. We must be nimble but we must be thorough. Since we started the journey, the oil industry landscape has changed significantly.

    “Care must be taken so we do not end up passing an obsolete bill. Having taken so long, it is critical that we get it right first time, particularly with the Host Community Bill. An “inclusive” bill that captures the aspirations of all stakeholders”.

    The member representing Mbaitolu/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of Imo State further stated that a paradigm shift was needed to guarantee that the right stakeholders are consulted as against the method of speaking with a few representative groups who have hijacked the process to further personal agenda.

    “The entire PIB document is yet to be committed to the technical committee for legislative fireworks to commence and believe me, we will be thorough.

    “However, as part of our bill making cycle we will be conducting a public hearing to allow for all interested groups, civil societies, religious bodies, youth groups etc to send in memoranda and representations.

    “The final PIB we will produce will be a harmonised document. The process of making this bill will be exhaustive. It will recognize a broad spectrum of stakeholders that will hopefully include unborn children and infants, adolescents, women, youth, chiefs and traditional rulers,” the Lawmaker stated.

    Speaking on the National Oil Spill Detection & Response Agency (NOSDRA) amendment bill, Nwawuba said, “the bill was passed by both chambers in 8th Assembly but was denied assent by Mr. President. We have taken advantage of our House Rule (Order 12) and re-introduced it in this 9th Assembly. It has now passed 1st and 2nd reading.

    “One of the mandates of NOSDRA is to restore and preserve our environment by ensuring best oil fields, storage and transmission practices in exploration, production and use of oil in the quest to achieve sustainable development in Nigeria.

    “We are working to have a technical committee set up to harmonize all the grey areas raised by Mr President, particularly the regulatory overlaps, and hopefully an emergency fund to react to environmental emergencies”.

    The Lawmaker also addressed the fate of the Niger Delta region after oil is long a thing of the past just like Enugu and Benue States stopped being relevant after the coal age.

    “Nigeria has a proven deposit of about 40 billion barrels of crude. By my calculation, if we drill at an average of 2 billion barrels a day, we will run out of crude by the year 2075. Our population by then will be well over 500 million people.

    “Our focus must be on those things that are necessary to navigate the future. There should be zero tolerance for wastage of resources. We need financial planning models to withstand future internal and external shocks in the event of depletion of our crude reserves.

    “So far we have failed to add value to our crude oil resources. We need to diversify the oil economy itself before talking about other sectors. If we had a robust mid stream industry we wont be where we are today.

    “Assuming 50% of our [crude oil] production is refined domestically we wont be here today. This is all down to policy failure. Why are refineries not working? Because we have the wrong policies. If we had the capacity to refine 1 million bpd think of how many jobs that will create.

    “Oil currently contributes about 60% to our economy earnings but only about 6-8% of our GDP. Have we used our oil resources well? The answer is no. We need to sterilize crude oil from our national budget so that our oil earnings will be used to build for the future.

    “We need to be shifting away from what we have been doing to what we must be doing. Our dependence on the extractive industries and fossil fuel deposits has exposed and alienated our economy from growth,” Nwawuba stated.

    Also speaking on the current state of the Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP), Nwawuba said, “the SIWP was designed to pool all ongoing interventions in the Niger Delta and donor activities in order to stop the duplication of projects by institutions and the misapplication of those funds by reinvesting in projects already undertaken by another entity.

    “It was about the different ongoing live projects and monitoring those projects, so that they’re actionable. The SIWP was put forward at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) but was not approved.

    “So the duplicity continues unchecked leading to those in Niger Delta not benefitting. The National assembly will continue to advocate for the SIWP to be approved. I commit to be at the forefront of that push”.

  • FEC approves $3.02bn for reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway

    FEC approves $3.02bn for reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the award of contracts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern narrow gauge railway, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.

    The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, made this known when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the 18th virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

    The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

    The minister also revealed that the Council approved the construction of a new deep seaport in Bonny, under Private-Public- Partnership (PPP) programme and the construction of a railway Industrial park in Port Harcourt.

    “The Federal Executive Council today, approved the award of contract for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Port Harcourt to Maiduguri Eastern Narrow Gauge Railway, with new branch lines and trans-shipment facilities.

    “It also approved the construction of a deep seaport in Bonny under PPP and construction of a railway industrial park in Port Harcourt.

    “The railway line will be at the cost of $3,020,279,549. The industrial park, which is under PPP, at no cost to federal government, will cost $241,154,389.31.

    “The Bonny deep seaport will cost $461,924,369, at no cost to the federal government.

    “The Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge railway will have new branch lines: from Port Harcourt to Bonny and from Port Harcourt to Owerri are new lines.

    “There is another connecting to narrow gauge to standard guage at Kafanchan.

    “There is a branch line from Gombe or before Maiduguri to Damaturu and Gashua. That’s what has been approved,’’ he said.

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, who also briefed the correspondents on the outcome of the meeting.

    He said the Council approved N653.8million to procure and deploy hybrid spectrum monitoring system that would cover the Southeast zone of the country.

    He explained that the approval followed the presentation of an investigative report by the ministry to the council on the use of illegal frequencies, saying that 106 out of the 320 frequencies being operated across the country were illegal.

    Pantami, therefore, expressed the hope that the deployment of the new hybrid spectrum would go a long way in promoting safety and security, enhance revenue and create many jobs for the citizens.

    “From January to August 2020, within the period of eight months, we discovered 320 frequencies being used all over the country and of this 320, 106 were illegal.

    “This is very worrisome because the usage of this illegal spectrum or frequencies will compromise our security and safety in the country.

    “It is because of the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari of promoting security that we came up with this initiative of monitoring the usage of frequencies and uncovered the legal and the illegal ones.

    “For the legal ones to ensure they renew their licenses annually and for the illegal ones, necessary actions are being taken according to the gravity of the offence.

    “We discovered that our monitoring did not cover south east. It covered five zones – northeast, northwest, north central, southwest and south south. However, south east has not been covered.

    “It is because of this that we presented our memo, seeking for council’s approval of N653,886,584 to procure and deploy hybrid spectrum monitoring system that will cover the southern part of the country, most importantly the south east.

    “So, Council approved for the deployment, and this project will go a long way in promoting safety and security and secondly, identify the usage of illegal spectrum and thirdly, enhance revenue for the federal government and fourthly, in the long run it will create many jobs for the citizens.’’