Nigeria Content Online

The federal
government has ordered a comprehensive review of the 376 bilateral
agreements that Nigeria has entered into with other foreign countries
and agencies, following its dissatisfaction of the outcome so far.

Nigeria has in the
past forged a total of 376 bilateral ties, which the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting said the country has nothing positive to show for
it.

Addressing
journalists yesterday after the meeting, presided over by the vice
president, Namadi Sambo, in the absence of the president, Goodluck
Jonathan, who was attending to the D8 heads of state, the minister of
information and communication, Dora Akunyili, said the government is
worried that so far, there is nothing to show for all the international
agreements.

She said the review
has become very essential so as to re-strategise and reposition the
nation’s focus towards more fruitful and rewarding international
engagements.

“Council has
approved the comprehensive review and negotiation of many of the
agreements as well as the need to develop a well-articulated national
policy on joint commissions,” she said.

“Joint/Bilateral
commissions are convenient legal framework for the negotiation,
elaboration and implementation of instruments covering various sectors
of activities for the benefit of the nationals of contracting parties.

“Nigeria has
concluded a total of 376 bilateral joint agreements in various sectors
of the economy and concerns have been generally expressed about the
unsatisfactory level of implementation and Nigeria’s ability to derive
maximum benefit from those agreements, memoranda of Understanding
(MOU), and related instruments concluded under the joint commissions’
framework,” she further said.

Based on the above,
she said, council considered and approved a comprehensive review and
possible re-negotiation of the non-performing agreements to ensure that
Nigeria derives maximum benefits from them.

The minister added
that the council also approved the creation of an inter-ministerial
committee, under the leadership of the ministry of foreign affairs, to
develop a well-articulated national policy on joint commissions, that
would be monitored by the National Planning Commission. All existing
agreements are to be reviewed and submitted to the council in the next
eight weeks.

New kits for schools

The minister of
education also brought a memo before council, seeking approval for the
award of contract for the procurement and distribution of 2,544 science
kits for selected public junior secondary schools (JSS) nationwide by
the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Council had, at its
meeting of 5th May 2010, approved the contract for the procurement and
distribution of 2,331 science kits, but directed the ministries of
education and science and technology to re-examine the procurement
process, with a view to allowing the National Agency for Science and
Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to execute it through sole sourcing
method.

The project will be
financed by the UBEC, from the balance of the funds for the school
feeding programme approved for the utilization of instructional
materials for the basic education sub-sector.

The minister of
state for power also presented a memorandum seeking approval for the
award of contract for the construction of 2X60MVA, 132/33KV substation
at Igangan and 132KV switching station at Igbo-Ora.

She added that the
project is one of the initiatives aimed at facilitating the anticipated
increase in the nation’s electricity generation capacity. When
completed, the project will strengthen and improve the transmission
system reliability.

“Council,
therefore, considered and approved the award of contract for the
construction of 2X60MVA, 132/33KV substation at Igangan and 132KV
switching station at Igbo-Ora, in the sum of £7,3million, plus
N885.6million.”

Completion period is 18 months.