The Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its second meeting in three days on Wednesday with the approval of N10.299 billion for the procurement of diagnostic kits for diabetes, anti retroviral drugs for resistant HIV/Aids patients, antibiotics, anti hypertensives and anti diabetic medications.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, who briefed newsmen after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Council Chamber, State House, Abuja, said government intervention in the health sector was in line with the President’s aspiration to ensure that Nigerians get access to quality and affordable health services.
His words: “Today (Wednesday) two memos related to the health and social welfare sector, in line with the President’s aspiration to ensure that Nigerians get access to quality health services and that they can afford and for which we’ll be making steady progress”.
According to him, out of the total sum, N997 million was earmarked for another procurement of anti retroviral drugs for HIV/Aids patients that are having resistant, N2 billion for the diagnostic kits for diabetes and N4.5 billion for the procurement of medical commodities such as antibiotics, anti hypertensives and anti diabetic medications.
The sum also includes N2.1 billion for the procurement of a mobile X ray machine for the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi as well as the rehabilitation and equipping of the hospital with a computerised tomography Cat scan and 64 slice CT scan.
FEC also approved contracts worth 10,299,000,000 naira for various products that are linked to enhancing the accessibility and affordability of health commodities, health services by Nigerians.
Pate said: “The first category was the third line antiretroviral drugs. A few weeks ago, we approved the first line antiretroviral drugs, second and third line for those who are resistant, Nigeria is putting forth resources, almost 997 million naira worth of contract to procure the third line antiretroviral drugs for those who are HIV infected.
“I believe you will understand the importance of this, given the changes in the global health financing and moving towards most of domestic financing to allow Nigerians to continue on treatment as they require.
“The second category is the procurement that was approved for locally manufactured diagnostic kits for diabetes. Diabetes is a major issue in our country. It’s among the fastest growing segment.
“We have lots of our population suffering from diabetes, and some are not even aware they have diabetes. In addition, we are having a local company for the first time, one of the first in the continent who will manufacture these diagnostic test kits in Nigeria.
“This is a company based in Lagos, which we had commissioned. It’s a private company, but it’s manufacturing in Nigeria. So government is procuring the diagnostic kits, the Onpoint blood glucose monitoring system that is manufactured here in Nigeria. This is bringing to life the effort to unlock the healthcare value chain by encouraging local manufacturers.
“So federal government is procuring 2 billion naira worth of those diagnostic kits. Out of this total amount that I had mentioned, that will also be in addition to Onpoint of the glucose monitoring devices.
“But anybody who has diabetes will know that they will have to monitor over time. So the devices are also being procured and they will be distributed. The health workers will be trained through primary health care centers and other facilities, and those commodities, we believe will bring relief to many Nigerians who are poor and vulnerable and cannot otherwise afford it. So that’s also what was approved by the Federal Executive Council.”
He said President Tinubu had previously indicated that the country needs to have a medical relief program to lower the cost for other types of medical commodities, adding that the antibiotics, anti hypertensives and anti diabetic medications are among the approval beyond the test kits.
He further explained: “Those are also worth 4.5 billion naira, which will be procured and distributed to help lower the cost. These are also commodities that are manufactured by local manufacturers here in Nigeria, so we are beginning to pull the demand and patronise our local manufacturers. So that’s one category of the approvals by the FEC today.
“The second approval was with one of our largest teaching hospitals. That’s the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi, for which the federal executive council approved the procurement of a mobile X ray machine, and also the rehabilitation and equipping of a computerised tomography Cat scan, a 64 slice CT scan for that teaching Hospital, in the amount of 2.1 billion in total for this hospital.
“The diagnostic services and the clinical care the Nigerians will receive in that hospital will be of the highest quality that we can make it and it serves as a referral not only in the state where it is located, but also in the region where it is located.
“So those are the two main items that the Federal Executive Council considered, which are in line with the transformation in Nigeria’s health sector and Mr President has been pursuing, we are relentlessly executing.”
Also, FEC is considering a proposal to increase budget thresholds for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in order to reduce the time spent on procurement-related discussions and allow for greater focus on policy deliberations.
Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, yltold newsmen after the Council meeting; noted that most memos brought before the council pertain to contract approvals.
He said: “You will notice that so many of these memos coming to the council are related to procurement contracts at the FEC level. So FEC thought that it is good to review that so that more time will be given to policy discussions at different Executive Council meetings.
“If you observed, all the memos presented here largely related to procurements, and so we want that to be decongested at the Federal Executive Council level.
“This will give room for more detailed discussions on policy issues and reduce some of these memos coming by increasing the threshold of those procurement processes to be executed at the ministerial level”.
The move is expected to enhance the efficiency of FEC meetings, ensuring that more attention is devoted to strategic policy matters crucial to national development.
The proposal, still under consideration, seeks to empower ministers and heads of MDAs with higher approval limits, reducing the frequency of procurement-related memos reaching the FEC.
This shift, according to Idris, was a key point of discussion during the meeting, with President Tinubu leading the debate.
“The idea is that it’s not yet conclusive what the final decisions are, but there is a very fruitful debate led by the chairman of the council, Mr. President himself, to review that so that we can have more time for policy discussions at the Federal Executive Council meetings,” he explained.
To finetune the proposal, the Minister said the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and relevant ministers have been tasked with working out the details.
He added that their recommendations will be presented to the FEC for final approval by the president in the near future.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) also approved 13 contracts for the Ministry of Works, totaling N679 billion, to facilitate road rehabilitation and new construction projects across several states.
The approvals include rescoping, variation, and fresh contracts aimed at ensuring infrastructure development aligns with available funds.
Briefing newsmen after the FEC meeting, Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi outlined the details of the contracts, emphasising the need to prioritise existing projects.
He listed the approvals to include the Aakalari-Ukuk Road in Bauchi State received a phased completion approach, with Phase One set for six months at N11.278 billion.
Similarly, the Uturu-Isikwato-Akara Road in Abia State will undergo a phased execution, with Phase One estimated at N5.926 billion for completion in six months.
A major new project involves the construction of a road from Zaria through Ukui to Kolomani, Dan Bali, Maraba, Kanya, Subawa, and Kasa in Kaduna and Katsina States.
The contract, valued at N198 billion, has been awarded to MotherCat Nigeria Limited for a 36-month construction period.
Another contract awarded is the rehabilitation of the Kano-Maiduguri Road, specifically a section previously terminated from Dantata Sowo.
The contract, now reassigned to Tractor Nigeria Limited, will run for 18 months at a cost of N128.395 billion.
In Kebbi State, the 57-kilometer Bagudu Road project was approved for N2.645 billion, ensuring ongoing works are protected from damage.
Similarly, the Obanewi-Arisizogu-Okiwe Road in Imo and Anambra States will see a six-month rescoping at a cost of N8.45 billion for Phase One.
A correction was made regarding the Iyin-Ilawi-Ekiti Road project, initially approved for N13.736 billion.
Upon discovering an error in the earlier presentation, the Ministry sought FEC’s approval for the correct amount of N15.626 billion, which was granted.
Additional contracts include: “Ulogu Road in Kwara/Osun States – N7.556 billion for Phase One (six-month duration).
“Wukari-Akwana Road in Taraba State – N12.615 billion (12-month duration).
“Bida-Lapaya-Lambda Road in Niger State – N39.493 billion for Phase One (six-month duration).
“Gada-Zamazuru-Gamji Road in Kebbi State – N11.976 billion (six-month duration).
“Kamakish Road in Oyo State – N12.35 billion (12-month duration).
Umahi stressed that FEC directed the Ministry to prioritise inherited projects, ensuring funds are utilised effectively.
He highlighted the importance of protecting existing infrastructure, particularly roads with binder courses that could be damaged by rainfall.
Additionally, FEC approved an adjustment in the Outer Marina Shore Protection Project in Lagos, which initially excluded certain federal institutions.
The contract sum has now increased from N144 billion to N176 billion to cover additional shoreline protection for the Nigerian Navy and other federal infrastructure in the area.
Umahi also provided an update on the Charm-Numan Road and Bridge project, which was severely impacted by flooding in October 2024. The revised contract was approved, ensuring the bridge’s completion.
Finally, the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road dualisation is set to progress in phases, with the first phase awarded N30 billion to CGC Nigeria Limited.
The Minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to infrastructure development, noting that all projects are being executed within budgetary allocations to ensure timely completion.
According to Umahi: “The directive of Federal Executive Council is to ensure that all the inherited project, we have to stick, to rescope the project, and then to prioritise it, based on available funds. So what we had to do is to now say, Okay, this is one.
“This fund available, and we use the fund available to protect the already completed, you know, don’t work, work, you know, improve this. Like in some cases, we have a lot of binary cost that is done.
“And if you allow it and rain is falling on it, there is going to destroy. So our focus will be this amount that is in budget we need to use it to put wearing costs to protect the pavement.”
