Leadership

Niger Awards N30.5bn Contracts, Targets N500bn from Capital Market

- BY ABU NMODU,

Niger State government has signed contracts for the conversion of Shiroro Hotel to Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Teaching Hospital (IBBUTH) and the redevelopm­ent of the three-arms zone at the cost of N18.9 billion and N11.6 billion respective­ly.

The state government plans to secure N500 billion funding from the capital market

Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago who spoke during the signing of the contracts, said his administra­tion is making frantic efforts to ensure that the state is transforme­d.

The IBBUTH project has two companies to handle it and the three-arms zone project will be executed by five companies.

Bago said, “As a government, we have muscled N500 billion from the capital market, so we can boost say, all the projects we have earmarked will be completed timely,” the governor said

He expressed optimism that the projects, when completed will create employment, solve health problems, reduce medical tourism, and increase transfer of skills as well as knowledge.

The governor said soon the old secretaria­t and the Judiciary Complex will be converted to the School of Midwifery and Health Technology, while the Judiciary Complex will be relocated to the three-arms zone to provide housing and accommodat­ion for the executive, legislativ­e and judiciary among other things.

He said 100,000 plots of land will be created from Pago to the three-arms zone and will be sold at the rate of N1 million each and the monies realised will be used to finance other projects.

While assuring the contractor­s that they would be paid 25 percent of their contract money immediatel­y after certificat­ion, he however warned that there would be no room for variation.

The IBBUTH will be completed in 12 months and that of the three-arms zone in 18 months.

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