14th May, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday approved that all Nigerians, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will now pay tollgate fees at all Federal Airports nationwide.
What this means is that all political office holders, including the Senate President, House of Representatives speaker, governors and others must pay toll fees.
The FEC meeting chaired by Tinubu at the State House on Tuesday approved that all users of Federal airports all over the country must now pay tolls at the gates and that no one is excluded.
The Council supported a series of initiatives set to be launched that will revolutionize Nigeria’s Infrastructure and Housing sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
The FEC agreed that the initiatives which could unlock about N2 trillion, were aimed at transforming the nation’s infrastructure and housing mortgage sector, meet the urgent demand for critical infrastructure and affordable homeownership, fostering job creation, inclusive growth, and long-term productivity enhancement.
The meeting agreed that inspired by the 1970s era, the government envisions a future where ordinary Nigerians could access 25-year mortgages at low-interest rates to realise their dream of owning a home and by collaborating with private institutional investors, the government seeks to replicate past successes and address current challenges effectively.
The FEC announced a ban on sand dredging 10 kms from all Federal bridges throughout the country, while it also announced a 4-week deadline for review of visa policy to enable tourists, business people, and creative professionals visit Nigeria.
The ease of doing business, the council agreed cannot materialise if prospective visitors face a herculean problem getting the country’s visa, saying part of the review envisaged was that visa applicants could apply for the visa online and get one within 48 hours and that visas may be waived for holders of visas of some countries.
The FEC also granted approval for the supply, installation and training of operators of disabled aircraft recovery system at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. The contract will cost N4.2 billion. Similar contract was awarded in 2021 for Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in 2021.