The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved three contracts worth N37.9 billion to beef up operations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Minister of Aviation, Senator, Hadi Sirika, briefed State House correspondents after a virtual FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“Today, Council received three memoranda from civil aviation and they were all approved consequently.

“Memo number one is for approval for a contract for the supply and installation of baggage handling system at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and the total contract sum is N3.6 billion inclusive of the 7.5 per cent VAT, with the completion period of 12 months.

“The contractor is Messrs Gulf of Africa International Limited, who is exclusive representatives of the original equipment manufacturer.

“The Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is Messrs UBS Systems Company, a company that is located in Istanbul, Turkey; the funding was found and appropriated and council consequently approved.”

Sirika said that the second memo from aviation was approval for the award of contract for the manufacture, supply, installation and operating training of disabled aircraft recovery system at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

He said such installation would be used in removing obstructions and easing operations.

“This system is to be applied in the event that there is an aircraft that is occupying the runway or any area of operations that we have, so the special equipment will be used to remove that aircraft from that place and free it for our own operations.

“Contract sum is N2.2 billion inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT.

“This was issued to Messrs Globsley Project Limited; the OEM representatives are Messrs AMS Aircraft Recovery Limited,” he said.

The minister said that the third memo was approval for the award of contract for direct procurement, installation and commissioning of the total radar coverage modernisation for the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

The contract sum is N28 billion.

The contractors are Messrs Talas, who had been on the project and supported by Intelligent Transportation Systems Limited and Messrs. Softnet Systems Nigeria Limited and the OEMs are Messrs Talas Systems of France and Messrs HM Global of Germany.