By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved N458 million for the engagement of Malaysia-based consultants to conduct a study to aid implementation of National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP.

FEC also approved the construction of Gombe-Biu Road estimated to cost N27 billion.

Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, disclosed these to State House correspondents at the end of the weekly FEC meeting presided over by Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Udoma explained that the job of the consultant was to identify relevant stakeholders in private and public sectors for the implementation of ERGP, saying the study will be conducted on agriculture, transportation, power, gas and processing.

The minister said:  “Today  (yesterday), the Federal Executive Council approved a memorandum that was brought by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to retain some consultants to help us to conduct some pilot labs.

‘This is part of our implementation strategy for the economic recovery and growth plan and so we intend to conduct three labs. One in agriculture and transportation, one in power and gas and one in manufacturing and processing.

“The key objectives of the labs are as follows. One to identify all relevant key stakeholders from the public and private sector that are crucial in the delivery and implementation of the ERGP initiative so as to create ownership early on  in the development process.

“We will review and re-evaluate the ERGP and sectoral plans against set targets and progress and will include identifying gaps in the current eco system and the key success factors.

Udoma explained that the consultancy will cover about three months or  a minimum of 13 weeks.

N27bn for Gombe-Biu Road

Also briefing journalists, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said approval was given for the construction of Gombe/Biu Road at the cost of N27. 233 billion, adding that the road, which connects Gombe and Borno states, would be completed within 24 months.

Disclosing that council also approved the Revised National Building Code, Fashola said: “We presented two documents, one was a memorandum that required council approval and the other was a note to inform council.

“They are important because they follow closely and inter-relate with the economy and recovery plan. The first, which was a memo was a contract for the Gombe-Biu Road that connects Gombe State to Borno and also leads to Adamawa and Yobe.

“The contract was for N27.23 billion for  117km. The entire road excludes the 9km that had been constructed by the Gombe State government.

“The other matter, which speaks to investment in our people, security of lives and property is the revised Nigeria national building code and this code is eight years behind its scheduled date and the first code  was delivered in 2006 and it was revised in 2009 and since then it was stalled.”

“Needless to say we have completed and approved the new code at the National Council of housing with the ministry of power   which we posted in August this year.

“The information that is critical is that it first adopts international building code standards and it also seeks to improve fire protection systems in buildings, public and private and in this time of harmattan, dry weather, this is the appropriate time to revise this kind of standards and hope that they can quickly kick in and people   benefit from them   and we save lives and property.

“It also introduces   the energy efficiency and green building methods   into our national standards. Recall that the ministry had launched an energy efficiency   building code earlier in the year and that has been incorporated as a national building code to ensure that people build more in compliance to global standard.

“You can position your building in such a way that people use more daylight, conserve energy, install fire heating systems that conserve energy. All of those are details that are aligned in the new Nigeria National building code.

“More importantly, I will like to speak on the provisions that has been made in responding   to the needs of people with disabilities,that’s   a very important position in the code now.

“Provision of hand grills in toilets and washrooms, hand rails in ramps,   lifts and ramps in public buildings to do some electro fitting as we go on.

“We have also reviewed the standard and quality of equipment that are used in building. Because When the   Green…tower fire happened in London, we were in the period of finalising this code and that was part of the things we considered.”