The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday approved the award of N51.4 billion contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of 13 roads across Nigeria.

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, made this known when he briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of Wednesday’s FEC meeting.

He said the contracts also included that of a satellite imagery map of Nigeria.

The FEC meeting was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.

The minister said that FEC approved 13 contracts valued at N47.8 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of 13 roads spread across the six-geopolitical zones.

“The roads for construction and rehabilitation are Vandeikya-Obudu-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road phase one in Benue, Mbaise-Ngwa Road in Imo and Abia and Abriba-Arochukwu-Ohafia Road, also in Abia.

“The Makurdi-Gboko Road phase one in Benue, Ohafia in Abia to Oso in Ebonyi, Sections 1A and 1B of Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Kontagora Roads, respectively in Sokoto State, Kebbi and Niger were also among those awarded,’’ he said.

Onolememen said the contracts awarded also included those for Kunya-Kanya-Babura-Babban Mutum Road in Jigawa, Zing-Yakoko-Monkin Road in Taraba and Alkeleri-Bauchi Road in Bauchi.

“They also include Aguoba-Owa-Mgbagbu Owa-Ebenebe at the Anambra border to the Awaha-Oyofo-Iwollo Road in Enugu State, the Ofa by-pass in Ofa council in Kwara and the Ikot-Ekpene border-Ada Owerri dualisation section phase one in Akwa-Ibom, Abia and Imo,’’ he said.

The minister said work had commenced on the roads since January and had reached various stages of not more than 10 per cent in all the 13 roads contracts.

He said the approval was in line with the determination of the Jonathan administration to address the deteriorating and deplorable conditions of the national road network.

“The federal road network under consideration is critical to the socio-economic development of the nation because the roads will serve various agricultural communities and lead to major industries and tourist attraction locations,’’ Onolememen said.

The minister said FEC also ratified the award of contract for the acquisition of multi-users and multi-spectral image map of Nigeria.

He said the contract awarded in favour of Messrs Infotera of the U.K. in the sum of N3.7 billion and had a completion period of 24 months.

The minister added that the satellite imagery map “is a fully digital and multi-spectral map of the whole country with very high resolution’’.

He said the map also had auto rectified images that would show the imagery of all major towns and cities in the country.

Mr. Onolememen said that the contract included the provision of free training of 100 personnel to be selected by about 20 user ministries, departments and agencies.

He said the free training would enable the understanding of the product and ensure the transfer of technology.

The satellite imagery map, according to him, will serve as a useful tool for both civil and military applications.

He said it could be deployed for geological surveying, including mineral mapping, defence mapping, strategic mapping, tactical and other operational activities of the security agencies.

The minister said the contractor had since commenced the project and it had reached a completion level of about 35 per cent.

(NAN)