FEC approves four new private varsities, others

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday approved the establishment of four new private universities in the country.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu announced the approval to State House correspondents at the end of the council’s first meeting held this year at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Adamu listed the new institutions as Greenfield University Kaduna; Dominion University, Ibadan Oyo State; Trinity University, Ogun State and Westland University in Iwo, Osun State.

The minister said the approvals were granted for setting up of the four universities, the owners having met the criteria following visitation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The approval has brought the total number of private universities in the country to 73.

Also briefing, Minister of State for Aviation, Hedi Serika said the council approved the contract for the procurement and installation of the second phase of controller–pilot data link communications for the Kano flight information region.

Serika explained that the controller–pilot data link communications is a method by which air traffic controllers can communicate with pilots over a datalink system.

According to him, within the Kano flight information region are the Abuja as well as the Lagos airports.

The total contract sum is $5,403,271 which is equivalent to N1,652,320,271.80 exclusive of five percent VAT. The contract is to Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Sirika said when completed, it would improve communication by digital means between the pilot and the controller, improve efficiency, make decision making faster and make departures and arrival seamless.

Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the council also approved two memos presented by the ministry on engineering procurement, construction and installation for Opoho Okoho flexible pipelines in OML 119 and Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline phase one, for additional unforeseen works in engineering.

“The total contract sum was $3.7 billion. The essence of this was that in 2014, the pipeline with which we were evacuating crude in that area gave way and so production became very marginal, we were operating average of about 20000 barrels a day as against about 37000, 40000 thousand barrels.”

FEC also approved a new policy that will drive maintenance culture in Nigeria.

The new policy known as the “National public building maintenance frameworks”, was announced by Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola,

The minister, while unveiling the new maintenance framework, said it was a precursor to the development of a “maintenance economy” aimed at providing jobs for millions of the nation’s teeming youths currently unemployed across the country

Fashola disclosed that his ministry was also working towards developing a framework for maintenance of other government assets, including roads, bridges and oil assets, across the country.