ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal Executive Council (FEC), has approved MTN’s takeover of the construction of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, worth over N202.8 billion under the road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to State House correspondents shortly after this week’s council meeting.
The meeting was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister noted that the approval followed Executive Order 7, signed by the President in January 2019, which according to him, would enable the telecom giant to complete the dualisation of the 110-kilometer road.
He revealed that the council under the same scheme, approved also the Umuchi-Ususu-Umueme Road in Abia State for construction by GZ Industries at N4.2bn.
According to him: “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented two memoranda and they are largely PPP based memoranda. In 25 January, 2019 specifically, President Buhari approved Executive Order 7, which was the road infrastructure tax credit scheme, to allow private sector to invest tax liabilities in advance in infrastructure, and that policy has helped us to finance roads like or by Obajana to Kaba, Apapa-Oshodi, Oshoki-Ojota Expressway, the Bodo-Bonni expressway in Port Harcourt, about 1000 kilometers covering 21 roads under the NNPC investment.
“So, there is an increased optic for that policy. Today, we have two more.
“The first that was approved is the one by MTN Nigeria Plc to take over and complete the ongoing Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. That road is 110 kilometres, which is being dualized. So, you have 110 kilometers times two.”
Fashola said that the outstanding work aggregated to over 91km on both sides.
He noted that the Enugu bound section of the road had been largely completed, more work was required on the Onitsha section, the minister explained.
Fashola noted that the policy would allow a steady and sustained stream of funding for completion by MTN.
He said: “The second memo also was under the Tax Credit Scheme and while the first one was related to the road linking Anambra and Enugu states, this one is with respect to a road in Abuja.
“Now, the road is called Umuchi-Ususu-Umueme GZ Industries Road in Abia. The private sector beneficiary of the approval is a company called GZ Industries. GZ Industries manufactures aluminium cans for bottling drinks. They have a factory in Agbara in Ogun State and they have another one in Abia in this area. So, it’s a link road to their factory.
“The approval was for N4,205,454,855,26. The road is a 3.7km road. So, it’s an access road to their Industry. Council, approved both memoranda.”