The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, has said the concessionaire interested in investment in the rehabilitation and management of the Central Workshop Ijora, Lagos under Public Private Partnership has been tasked on the need to leverage the private sector initiatives of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to invest on technologies that will promote best construction standards in Nigeria, bearing in mind the mandate of the Central Workshop which is essentially public works as provided by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
The Minister stated this on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, during a concession review meeting with the Public Private Partnership unit of the Federal Ministry of Works led by its head, Ugwu-Chima Nnennaya (Mrs) and Messrs. BETA Transport Nigeria Ltd led by its Director, Nana Fatima Paturel.
According to the Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works, Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, the Minister urged them to see the partnership as an opportunity to develop technologies that would help in the building and maintenance of the government’s infrastructure, especially buildings, road construction, bridges, rail tracks, harbours and aerodromes.
He highlighted the importance of the Federal Government’s approval for the concession of the Central Works Ijora, Lagos and expressed confidence that if fully rehabilitated and put into optimal use, it would create job opportunities and help in the training of Nigerian youths, artisans and craftsmen that would close the gap in the human capital formation needed to drive the construction and manufacturing industry.
Considering the report on the processes leading to the finalization of the concession agreement with Messrs BETA Transport Nigeria Ltd, the Honourable Minister expressed reservations over the strength of negotiation that gave rise to the financial close and therefore constituted a five-member committee to re-evaluate the negotiation outcome and make appropriate recommendations to achieve value for the federal government. The Committee is made up of the following members:
1. Director Highway Construction and Rehabilitation – Chairman
2. Director Highway Panning & Development – member
3. Director Engineering Services
4. Director Legal Services
5. Head Public-Private Partnership – Secretary
Responding on behalf of the committee, the Chairman thanked the Honourable Minister for his sense of commitment to the cause of national development and for the ethical standards he introduced in the conduct of government businesses in the Federal Ministry of Works and assured him that the committee would deliver on a record time in the assignment given to them.
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