FEC, for construction of bus terminals in six zones, approves N142bn
File: Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali
… says lack of major bus terminals cause road accidents and crimes
The Federal Government on Wednesday has approved N142bn for the construction of modern bus terminals across the country.
The government also ordered all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies still processing contracts under the 2024 Appropriation to complete their procurement activities by the end of September 2025.
The approval for the N142bn and the deadline for the conclusion of the 2024 project procurement were made during the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While speaking with State House Correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Transportation, Sai’du Alkali, confirmed that the bus terminals will be constructed in the six geopolitical zones across the country.
Alkali noted that the terminals will be sited in Abeokuta (South-West), Gombe (North-East), Kano (North-West), Lokoja (North-Central), Onitsha (South-East), and Ewu in Edo State (South-South).
He said the sum of “₦142,028,576,008.17” was approved for the construction of the terminals.
The minister identified that the lack of major bus terminals contributes to crime, road accidents, and illegal arms proliferation, which prompted them to seek presidential and Federal Executive Council approval for the project.
“This is the first time the government is having intervention in or road infrastructure apart from road construction. The idea of these terminals was chosen based on the choice of their economic viability.
“It has come to the notice of the ministry that in spite of the significance of road transportation in Nigeria, there are no bus terminals to address the interests of millions of Nigerian commuters. As a result, we have a lot of crime, road traffic accidents, and proliferation of arms and ammunition on our highways.
“So, that is what informed the ministry to approach Mr. President and indeed the Federal Executive Council to seek the approval of the construction of these bus terminals,” he said.
The directive for the September deadline for MDAs to conclude 2024 project procurement was contained in a brief from the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, made to President Bola Tinubu.
According to the directive, which was presented to journalists at the State House, Abuja, after the FEC meeting, by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the BPP said over 70 MDAs are yet to conclude procurement for 2024 projects, even though the budget year should have ended in December 2024.
While the law was extended to allow for full implementation, the bureau noted that it has now been more than 20 months since passage, warning that prolonged delays could result in avoidable liabilities for the government.
The brief by the BPP recommended that President Tinubu obtain a full account of all projects awarded by ministers and their ministries, with each ministry and its parastatals directed to submit lists of projects for both the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
This aligns with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s circular on project reporting.
Reaffirming the administration’s Nigeria First policy, the BPP urged MDAs to give priority to locally made goods and services in project execution, provided they meet international standards and are certified by relevant government authorities.
The bureau, working alongside the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, will monitor compliance and forward reports to the Presidency for further action.
On the 2025 budget cycle, the BPP advised that a significant share of projects be procured through open competitive bidding to stimulate job creation and reduce poverty.
It also recommended that the BPP Director-General be included in all bilateral loan negotiations for infrastructure projects, ensuring professional oversight of procurement decisions and cost assessments.
The bureau further expressed concern over persistent non-compliance with the Public Procurement Act by some government-owned companies and enterprises, despite the Finance Act 2020 mandating adherence.
It warned that such disregard has fostered financial recklessness in certain entities and called for strict enforcement to bring all procurement activities in line with the law.
