FG approves N1.5bn for customs to procure 46 vehicles

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved N1.5 billion for the procurement of 46 vehicles for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Clement Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, announced this to state house correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided by Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday.

Agba said the council believed that the new vehicles will help in enhancing the agency’s effectiveness and revenue generation capacity.

“Today, Council approved the procurement of 46 units of vehicles, this is for operational and administrative use by the Nigerian Customs Service,” Agba said.

“This was awarded to Messrs. Elizade Nigeria Limited at a total cost of N1,554,200,000, and this amount is inclusive of a 7.5%. VAT.

“Recall that the last set of procurement of vehicles that was done for customs was 2017 and 2020, and in 2020 we did see a whole lot of huge seizures that were made by the Nigerian Customs and also the performance in terms of revenue.

“Even with 2021, up till August, they have over performed the prorated rate of the target that they were given.”

At the meeting, the council also approved a contract for the construction and furnishing of a new senate building and 1,000-capacity conference centre at the University of Abuja.

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said the contract was awarded to Hilkam Engineering Consultancy Ltd at the cost of N2.35 billion.

“There was also an approval of another memo presented by the Minister of Power for the award of 400kw PV power plant at Federal Medical Center (FMC), Jabi, Abuja at the cost of N768,906,174.71 to Stallion Trading and Construction Company Ltd,” he added.

“There was also an approval for the minister of works and housing for the award of contract for the rehabilitation of Sokoto – Ilela (Nigeria) Birnin Konin (Niger Republic) Road in Sokoto State at the sum of N8,450,829,974.95 to Messrs Amirco Universal Concept Ltd.”