The Federal Capital Territory will spend N64,861,604,695.00 for its 2022 National Priority Projects, says FCT minister Mohammed Bello.

The minister explained that the figure was contained in the 2022 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on October 7.

He disclosed this at the presentation of the FCT’s 2022 budget to the joint Senate and House committees on the FCT.

Mr Bello added that the budget estimate of the FCT leveraged the 2021-2022 Medium Term National Plan (MTNDP) of the federal government. The budget estimate targets the sustained completion of 18 priority projects both within the Federal Capital City and the satellite towns.

“Some of these priority projects include the installation of solar street lights along various roads in the satellite towns; provision of roads, water and electricity supplies to the resettlement site of Galuwyi Shere (Phase II),” stated Mr Bello. “Rehabilitation and upgrading of street lighting facilities within the FCC; Design/ construction of a dam, treatment plant, tanks and other bulk water supply infrastructure to Karshi; Abuja Light Rail Transit Phase II Addendum 1-2 (2) and the rehabilitation of federal government buildings, amongst others.”

Speaking further on the importance of some of the projects, Mr Bello said that the construction of the Mpape-Shere Galuwyi road was a bold initiative of the FCT Administration to ensure a successful resettlement process of original inhabitants in about 16 communities.

He said implementing the Abuja Light rail Mass transit Phase II Addendum 1-2 (2) would fund the completion of a remaining 5.76km rail line, thereby extending the rail line from Baizango to the Kubwa station.

The Greater Abuja Water supply project, he said, was a bilateral initiative to enhance water supply in the FCT, and its implementation would extend the supply of potable water to 33 districts covering Gwarimpa, one and two Utako, Dutse, Gudu Kaura, Wuye, Mabushi, Jahi, Kado, Karmo, Lokogoma, Kabusa, Dape, amongst others.

On the performance of the 2021 budget, Mr Bello disclosed that the 2021 Appropriation Act had allocated N37,430,762,421.00 for infrastructure development activities of the FCTA as of date.

The minister said N30,147,069,087.06 had been released, representing a budget performance of 81 per cent, stressing the need to increase the FCT’s budgetary allocation, stating that the FCT should be considered a national project.

He also said the FCT was performing well in its revenue generation drive, second to Lagos in internally generated revenue.

(NAN)