In a bid to accelerate national development and address critical challenges, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved two major concession projects. The first is the Cassava Bio-mass, Bio-ethanol Value Chain, while the second is the National Fire Detection and Alarm System (NAFDAS).
The Cassava Bio-ethanol Value Chain project is a private sector-led approach aimed at generating revenue, creating job opportunities, reducing poverty, improving food security and nutrition, providing renewable energy, and reducing carbon footprint. The project is expected to generate a total revenue of 105 billion naira within the 5-year concession period. It will be executed on a pilot phase, which aims to build a Bio-technology Industrial Park across 20 universities, academia, and research and development institutes on a 20-hectare plot.
The project will double cassava production from the current 62 million tons to output of over 120 million tons within five years. The pilot phase will involve the planting of 5,000 special hybrid cassava stems per hectare, as well as the supply of organic fertilizers/boosters/conditioners, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and knapsack sprayers. The revenue stream from the project includes sales of cassava stem, cassava flour, garri, starch, and bio-ethanol.
The National Fire Detection and Alarm System (NAFDAS) project is a comprehensive fire mitigation project aimed at improving the efficiency of fire prevention, detection, and management across the country. The project involves the deployment of cutting-edge hardware, software, and equipment, which will be linked to a cloud network supervised by the Federal Fire Service through a private entity.
Through the use of this technology, response time in fire incidents will be automated, and avoidable incidents forestalled, thus saving lives and property. Smoke alarms and other fire detection hardware will be linked to a server that will alert the system when the user is in distress without them having to call for help.
The project will begin on a pilot scale with seven states of the federation before rolling out to all other states across the country. The projected cost for the project is put at N3.5 billion, while the government targets revenue generation of N75 billion within the 15-year period of the concession. The revenue stream includes margin on installations and annual subscription fees from users of the service.
Both projects will be executed under the regulatory guidance of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and the revenue will be shared between the Federal Government and the concessionaire at a ratio decided in the concession agreement. With these two projects, Nigeria is poised to unlock its full potential and become a major player in the global economy.
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The Federal Government has launched two ambitious projects aimed at driving economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and environmental sustainability. The Cassava Bio-mass, Bio-ethanol Value Chain and the National Fire Detection and Alarm System (NAFDAS) are two innovative initiatives that will transform the economy and make Nigeria a major player in the global market.
The Cassava Bio-ethanol Value Chain project is a public-private partnership that will generate revenue, create job opportunities, improve food security and nutrition, provide renewable energy, and reduce carbon footprint. The project aims to double cassava production from the current 62 million tons to output of over 120 million tons within five years, using improved tropical agro-ecology, bio-technology, intense mechanization, and effective partnership resource mobilization.
The pilot phase of the project will involve the planting of 5,000 special hybrid cassava stems per hectare.
