N2.4

The Federal Government on Wednesday has approved a request by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment for the award of contracts by the National Automative Council (NAC) to procure auto testing laboratories equipment and tools to be installed in designated laboratories in Lagos, Enugu and Zaria.

The decision was taken at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Supervising Minister of Information, Edem Duke; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga; Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; and Minister of Environment, Labara Malam, briefed State House correspondents of the meeting’s outcome.

Aganga said the contracts for the procurement, installation and training on the tools were awarded in the sum of €11.6million with a delivery period of 36 weeks adding that there was a financial provision of N3billion in the approved 2014 Internally Generated Revenue budget of the NAC out of which the sum of N2.4billion was allocated for the auto-testing tools.

Giving a breakdown of the contract, Aganga further said under Lot I, the contract for the supply, installation and training on equipment for emission laboratory, Lagos was awarded for €4.8million. Under Lot II, contract which concerns the auto component laboratory, Enugu, was awarded in the sum of €4.6million. Lot III which involves the contract for auto testing laboratory, Zaria was awarded for €1.2million.

He added that the Lot IV which is for the supply, installation and training on equipment for metallic component and safety glass laboratory, Zaria was awarded for €764,036; while the Lot V which is for vehicle evaluation laboratory, Zaria, was awarded for €898, 791. “The overall objective is to ensure vehicle safety and environmental protection as well as the quality of automative products in Nigeria,” Aganga said.

Okonjo-Iweala also said the council approved her request to procure temporary office building located at Plot 1072 Cadastral Zone N10, Dakibiyu District, Airport Road, Abuja for the Investments and Securities Tribunal.

Janeth J