Policy blitz: Tinubu unveils 21 major initiatives after marathon FEC meeting

The Federal Executive Council after a marathon meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday rolled out 21 major policy initiatives.

The President’s Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X handle, formerly Twitter, listed the initiatives as a 48-hour visa policy, cancelling of airport toll payment exemption for very important persons and ban on sand dredging 10 kilometres from all federal bridges throughout the country among others.

1. The FEC meeting, which started on Monday was concluded on Tuesday in what experts have described as unprecedented in the history of the council.

The Federal Executive Council after a marathon meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday rolled out 21 major policy initiatives.

The President’s Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X handle, formerly Twitter, listed the initiatives as a 48-hour visa policy, cancelling of airport toll payment exemption for very important persons and ban on sand dredging 10 kilometres from all federal bridges throughout the country among others.

The FEC meeting, which started on Monday was concluded on Tuesday in what experts have described as unprecedented in the history of the council.

After exhaustive deliberations, the council approved several policies and projects that would further boost the economy, facilitate investments and promote the ease of doing business in the country.

Briefing the State House correspondents on Tuesday after the FEC meeting at Aso Rock Villa Abuja on Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Federal Government was reviewing its visa regime to enable persons who wish to invest in Nigeria to obtain a visa within 48 hours.

Idris stated that the visa policy was one of the several resolutions of FEC, adding that it was aimed at encouraging investors and tourists.

According to him, the visa policy review is necessary to foster ease of doing business on Nigerian soil.

Since assuming office in May 2023, the Bola Tinubu administration has actively pursued foreign investment opportunities through a series of strategic international engagements and high-level meetings aimed at boosting Nigeria’s economic profile.

Briefing journalists after the FEC meeting on Tuesday, the information minister said a tripartite committee had been created to review the visa issuance process.

Idris said, “Now, the Federal Executive Council has noted that our visa processes are becoming cumbersome and this is not encouraging investors to come in easily because, as the President has indicated, the ease of doing business is also tied to the ease of visa application.

“Therefore, the FEC has set up a committee to look at our visa processes to reduce the cumbersome nature of these visa processes, meaning that those investors or tourists who want to come into Nigeria will find it a lot easier to go into this country provided they follow all the laid down processes.

e-visa platform

“This includes the e-visa platform, which has already been discussed. The Federal Government is also mulling the idea of every visa application being processed within the next 48 hours.”

Nigeria’s e-visa process is part of a broader effort to streamline and modernise the country’s visa system, as outlined in the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2020.

The e-visa system allows visiting non-Nigerians to apply online. Applicants must complete an electronic application form, upload necessary documents, and pay the required fees.

Such e-visas available include the Short Visit Visa for business, which allows for a maximum stay of 90 days, and various investor visas that cater to different scales of investment from small to ultra-large enterprises.

However, the system has been plagued by inefficiencies, making the process cumbersome due to several factors. Applicants often face difficulties fulfilling documentation requirements and dealing with occasional technical hitches on the application portal.

More so, the need for detailed documentation, such as letters of invitation, evidence of sufficient funds, and investment proofs, adds to the complexity. The process also requires pre-approval via an electronic travel authorisation letter, which must be printed and presented upon arrival.

Though designed to ensure security and proper vetting, they have been time-consuming and challenging for users.

N10bn airport tolls

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said it will generate at least N10bn annually from airport access tolls.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting, also said the council approved a memorandum from the ministry scrapping toll exemptions for all very important persons and government officials using airports nationwide.

Tuesday’s decision would see President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who were earlier exempted, paying airport access toll and parking fees

Keyamo said the government’s rationale was to stop the revenue haemorrhage, denying the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria the much-needed means to maintain the facilities and provide quality services to users.

He argued that the government lost over 82 per cent of the money it would have generated from e-tags sold to VIPs and government officials for easy airport access.

The memoranda initially recommended an exemption for the President and the vice president. However, Tinubu, who chairs the Council, overruled this, insisting that he and the VP, alongside their aides, must pay tolls.

“How much are we expecting? It runs into billions. We are looking at raising at least N10bn annually. This is a very big one for us (Federal Government). And we will market the e-tags so that VIPS will buy into it,” said Keyamo when asked about specifics.

He explained, “When we came to office, we met a tradition on the ground where at the end of the year, all manners of VIPs would approach us for what they call complimentary e-tags or complimentary stickers. They don’t pay airport access fees, parking, or essential services.

“The negative figure we get at the end of the day from the complimentary e-tags is -82 per cent. In other words, we end up selling only 18 per cent of e-tages. Imagine the loss! I told myself and my team, not under my watch. It is inconceivable that the VIPs don’t pay for services, but the poor pay.

“Our memo says with the exception of the President and the Vice President. But the President overruled me and said he and the Vice President would pay. He said everybody must pay.”

Enacted in 1995, the FAAN Act (Part IV) empowers the airport authority to levy and collect various charges from various categories of airport users to support the maintenance and development of airport infrastructure.

He added that a percentage rebate was being considered for service veterans.

The minister also vowed to ensure compliance, saying, “I will breathe down on the regulators. I must direct them to do what the law says diligently. I will ensure that they don’t water. down the regulatory measures.”

He said toll collection officers at the airport gates would no longer be bullied into granting access to uniform officers who refuse to pay. He assured them that more cameras would be “planted” in strategic positions to capture and expose any acts of harassment.

Regarding his alleged interference in the operations of airlines, especially as it concerns the closure of Dana Airlines, Keyamo noted that he would “continue to interfere to save lives until he leaves office.”

In a related development, the FEC approved a memorandum seeking N4.2bn for the maintenance and supply of aircraft recovery equipment.

Keyamo said the equipment would be used at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos and was designed to respond to occasions of aircraft breakdown on runways.

Apart from the initiative on the airports, the FEC also approved a N2tn mortgage initiative and banned sand-dredging 10km from federal bridges.

The council also approved a N51bn transport terminal hub in Abuja. It added that $7m US property would become Nigeria’s tech hub.

FEC also approved a new revenue platform for gaming and lottery businesses as well as N546bn for roads in Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kebbi and Sokoto.

N72bn transmission lines

Meanwhile, the Federal Government also approved about N72bn for the construction of a new transmission line and emergency restoration systems for other transmission lines to enable quick repair of vandalised and damaged power infrastructure.

This came as the Federal Government also defended the Lagos-Ibadan Coastal Highway project, saying the project which would enhance growth and development followed due process.

Approved N72bn project includes the first is a 93-kilometer transmission line at Oji River/9th Mile for the 132 KV double circuit transmission line, costing $33.9m (N50.93bn) and N10.1m.

“Then the second one is in favour of Visible Construction Limited at the cost of N37,259,513,881.14 and the upgrading of Kwali-Ibu is at N7.6 billion in favour of El Emad Nigeria Limited. For the generator and also the security there are two things attached to that memo.

“The issue of security operation and maintenance of the backup generator and it’s at the cost of N412,352,800 million. It was awarded to Messiah Contract People Limited.”