The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the continuation of about 18,897 kilometers of roads and 24 bridges across the country that were inherited from the past administration.

This was disclosed by the Minister of Works Mr Dave Umahi while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We also brought to notice of FEC that a number of projects were awarded some lasting up to 20 years back, both abandoned and ongoing with no proper funding and so on and so forth. And there’s some new critical roads totaling 12,000 kilometers and 24 bridges.

“FEC approved for the continuation of these inherited projects and the new proposals and directed that Federal Executive Council committee of chief of staff, Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Minister for Works Minister for a planning and Budget, GCEO/GMD of NNPLC, chairman of IRS and SSA on Tax Reform, to meet and come up with strategies to source for the funds and everything patterning to the funding,” he said.

The minister said he briefed the council on the need to have some of the projects that have not been completed by the previous redesigned on concrete, and going forward for new projects to be done on concrete.

“FEC approved that concept that most of the ongoing projects should be designed on concrete pavements depending on the level of completion and if you’re doing Asphalt there are also conditions for that.

“FEC also approved the coastal road running from Phase 1 which runs from Lagos to Port Harcourt to Calabar. Phase2 runs from Sokoto to Ogoja. It was approved to be done on EBC + F, that is engineering procurement and construction plus financing,” he said.

He said the council also approved that the financial closure eight roads that were started by the past administration on the basis of concession should be reached in the month of November.

“There were nine actually but one was pulled out that is Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta and that has been given to the Ogun State government based on their request that they should do the road on their own and they will follow the HDMI that is hardware development management initiative. No refunds for that but they will do it and toll it. And new 25 roads were also approved for concessioning, which takes a very long time on the PPP model.

“Lastly, the PPP (Public, Private, Partnership) for Ijora park in Lagos. It was approved that it should be done on PPP. And it was won by Beta Nigeria Ltd, which was actually started by the last administration. So we just have to convey what they did to FEC which we got approval. The consultancy for NNPC and FIRS who oversee the projects funded by them was also approved today,” he said.