The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N11.72 billion for projects in the Works and Housing and Health ministries.

This was disclosed to State House Correspondents by Ministers after the week’s virtual FEC meeting in the Executive Council Chambers of Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said N8.649 billion was approved for the ministry as a variation for works on the Enugu-Onitsha Highway.

“The Ministry of Works Housing presented one memorandum to Council, which was for the revised estimate total cost of our project on the Enugu-Onitsha Highway and it was to add the sum of N8.649 billion to the section on that contract to Niger Construction which is a 22-kilometre section of the 100-kilometre road so that we can expedite the conclusion of works.

“Variation was to cater for the change of the pavement surface, the binder course and the wearing course to crease thickness and also to utilise modified bitumen and also to strengthen the shoulders and some bridge works. Council approved the variation of N8.649 billion in favour of Niger Construction.”

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said Council approved N3,070,892,938 for six contracts of laboratory equipment on behalf of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“The Ministry of Health presented a memo on behalf of NCDC public health laboratory specialist and for the Center for Disease Control.

“It is for six contracts for laboratory equipment and to the total worth of N3,070,892,938 for various equipment and supply to strengthen the work of NCDC in various parts of the country to be more ready for the work they do in diagnostics preparedness, not only for COVID-19 but for any other disease outbreak of public interest in the future,” he said.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, who also briefed correspondents, said the Council approved a review of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan 2020 to 2043.

He said the review, which has embedded a macro-economic framework, has given birth to the National Council on Infrastructure, which would be supervised by the Office of the Vice President.