BEVERLY HILLS April 25, (THEWILL) –Â The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N10.7billion for the establishment of new 10 rice mills and N68.6 billion for road projects across the country.
This was disclosed by the Ministers of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri and that of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola after the Council’s meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Lokpobiri said that the Council approved the 10 rice mills with the capacity to produce 100 tonnes per day, and the mills would be managed by private rice millers.
According to the minister, the mills will be located in Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra, Kaduna, Ogun, Niger and Bauchi states.
“Today the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of 10 very large rice mills to enhance the milling capacity of rice value chain in the country,” he revealed.
“Few years ago it was reported that this country needs a minimum of 100 large rice mills. As of today we have about 21 but Federal Government in its wisdom decided that today we should approve the establishment of 10 at the total cost of N10.7billion.
“These would be given to the sector to manage which they will be pay back within a given timeframe as it would be agreed between the Bank of Agriculture and the Rice Millers.”
On his part, Fashola disclosed that N64.108 billion was approved for additional work on 43 kilometres part of the Section one of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
According to him, the new approval is to accommodate the changing factors occurring on the project and also to modify the bitumen for the road in order to withstand the heavy vehicles passing through the road.
“This covers Glover leaves, pedestrian bridges, toll plazas for that section so as to accommodate changing nature of that road since conception,” he disclosed.
“So, many new structures, religious institutions, factories, universities and increased human activities that have come up along that road.
“The inherited design didn’t provide for all these at all. The second section under RCC about 80 kilometres will come to Council to incorporate similar works including drainage works e.t.c when we finish procurement.”
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