The Kano State Government has completed 867 of the 1,557 projects initiated by Governor Abba Yusuf’s administration since it assumed office. The state Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Nura Maaji, has said this.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Maaji disclosed this on Sunday during a media briefing in Kano. He stated that the completed projects represent 55.68 per cent of the total projects classified by the government.
He said another 42 per cent of the projects were still ongoing. The projects cut across urban infrastructure, rural development, mass housing, roads, bridges, healthcare, education, traffic management and other public infrastructure.
According to him, the projects have a combined contract value of N996.29 billion. Meanwhile, N695.20 billion had been approved through Notices of No Objection.
He added that the ministry had vetted payment certificates worth N444.75 billion.
Maaji said the eight metropolitan Local Government Areas accounted for 598 projects valued at N299.36 billion. This represented 30.01 per cent of the total contract value.
He said the 36 rural LGAs, meanwhile, accounted for 653 projects valued at N287.90 billion. This represented 28.90 per cent of the total contract value.
Cross-cutting projects covering more than one LGA were valued at N159.50 billion. In addition, statewide projects and other interventions accounted for N249.54 billion.
Highlighting some of the major projects, Maaji said the list included the N113.19 billion mass housing scheme at Rijiyar Gwangwan in Dawakin Kudu. It also included the N24.77 billion Katsina Road expansion covering parts of Fagge and Dala LGAs. Additionally, the list included the N21.90 billion Modern Cities infrastructure programme.
“Major projects include the approximately N113.19 billion mass housing scheme at Rijiyar Gwangwan in Dawakin Kudu, N24.77 billion Katsina Road expansion in Fagge and Dala LGAs, and N21.90 billion Modern Cities infrastructure programme,” he said.
He also listed the N27.74 billion Madobi-Yako-Kafin Maiyaki-Kiru Road intervention. Moreover, he mentioned the N22 billion Rural Model City Project covering the state’s 36 rural LGAs.
The commissioner, however, disclosed that the Dawakin Kudu Mass Housing Project and the Rural Model City Housing Project were among the high-value projects. These are still awaiting completion of relevant due process procedures.
On financial oversight, Maaji said the N444.75 billion payment certificates vetted by the ministry represented 44.64 per cent of the total contract value.
He added that the amount was equivalent to about 63.97 per cent of the N695.20 billion approved through Notices of No Objection.
Maaji assured that the ministry would continue to monitor the implementation of projects. Furthermore, it would address bottlenecks and strengthen certification processes. This is to ensure that public funds deliver value to the people of Kano State.
