THE STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPROVED THE FOLLOWING:
1. Year 2025 Ekiti State Annual State Business Enabling Reforms Action Plan (BERAP) for implementation.
The Criteria for year 2024 has been achieved and in readiness to meet the target for year 2025, the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Council, at its 4th quarter meeting, reviewed and approved the 2025 Ekiti State BERAP in line with the eligibility criteria for the reform programme.
The 2025 Ekiti State BERAP which was prepared with private sector participation and expected to be published online before 31st December, 2024, had been reviewed and cleared by the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) Secretariat.
Online publication of Ekiti 2025 BERAP on or before 31st of December 2024 is one of the eligibility criteria for the SABER Programme for year 2025
The approval was part of preparation to meet up with the 2025 eligibility criteria as prerequisite for being a part of the programme’s result-based financing year in furtherance to the State Government’s participation in the World Bank State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme.
SABER is a 3-year (2023-2025) performance based intervention aimed at motivating and strengthening the implementation of business enabling reforms across Nigeria.
It was jointly designed by the World Bank and the Presidential Enabling Business Council (PEBEC) Secretariat, with support from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning (FMFBNP), the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), and the State Commissioners for Finance Forum of Nigeria.
Ekiti State is ready to continue its participation in the World Bank State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme which is open to all States and the FCT.
2. N222,799,125.00 (two hundred and twenty two million, seven hundred and ninety nine thousand, one hundred and twenty five naira only) for the replacement of old and worn-out furniture in some Guest Chalets and Residential Lodges in the Government House.
It has become imperative to replace the outdated and deteriorated furniture in the Guest Chalets and residential lodges at the Government House with new ones to make the lodges more befitting for residential and hospitality purposes.
Messrs. D and T Furniture was recommended for the procurement in line with Direct Procurement Method in view of the company’s track records in the supply of furniture items to the State Government and its financial capacity to supply without mobilization, which would assist in mitigating inflation and given two weeks to execute the contract.
3. N1,702,141,752.88 (one billion, seven hundred and two million, one hundred and forty one thousand, seven hundred and fifty two naira, eighty eight kobo) for the construction of the Ekiti State Revenue House.
The State Executive Council noted the significant improvement in revenue generation through innovative drive by the State Revenue Service and the need to fund the well-tailored development agenda of the agency to enhance service delivery, more so that the current building being used is grossly inadequate.
A state-of-the-art revenue house is expected to greatly enhance revenue collection, management and economic development of the State. The infrastructure to be put in place will improve the overall taxpayer experience and also provide a one-stop shop for all revenue-related services and reduce the time and effort required for taxpayers to pay their taxes.
Contract for the construction of the Revenue House is to be awarded to Messrs. Ricabim Nigeria Limited and has 18months completion period with payment of 60% as mobilization fee upon submission of an Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) or Insurance Bond while subsequent payments will be based on milestone achieved on the job.
4. N1,470,811,915.62 (one billion, four hundred and seventy million, eight hundred and eleven thousand, nine hundred and fifteen naira, sixty two kobo) for the construction of Bovas Filling Station-Spotless Hotel Road, Ado Ekiti.
The approval was in furtherance to the present administration’s strong commitment to the development of infrastructure in Ekiti State in line with the six (6) pillars of His Excellency, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. The project, upon completion, is expected to enhance the socio-economic activities of the area and serve as a link between the two axis.
The contract approved to be awarded to Messrs. Banky Pacesetter Nigeria Limited with payment of 60% of the contract sum as mobilization fee for the job upon the submission of an Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) or Insurance Bond, is expected to be completed in 10months.
5. N2,077,576,922.51 (two billion, seventy seven million, five hundred and seventy six thousand, nine hundred and twenty two naira, fifty one kobo) for additional works on the rehabilitation of Hospitals Management Board/ Doctor’s Quarters Road Extension to Apata Natha Junction Road, Ado Ekiti.
The contract for the Rehabilitation of Hospitals Management Board/ Doctor’s Quarters Road was awarded to Messrs. Dortmund and Company Limited on 27th July,2023 at a sum of N413,004,126.92 (four hundred and thirteen million, four thousand, one hundred-and twenty-six-naira, ninety-two kobo). However, due to the review of rates on contracts in the State, the contract was reviewed upward to N778,723,735.62 (seven hundred and seventy-eight million, seven hundred and twenty-three thousand, seven hundred and thirty-five naira, sixty two kobo).
The contractor has substantially completed the original work, but there is the need to extend the road to Apata Natha junction, with a view to connecting Basiri with Adebayo, thereby reducing the hardship of the people living in the area. The additional works to be done include: clearing, earthworks, concrete drain, pavement and laying of asphalt and expected to be completed in 10months.
6. N4,622,909,544.32 (four billion, six hundred and twenty two million, nine hundred and nine thousand, five hundred and forty four naira, thirty two kobo) for the rehabilitation of Oke Ayedun-Ipao-OkeAko-Irele Road.
The approval is in pursuant of the present administration’s infrastructure development agenda and commitment to addressing the pressing need for road rehabilitation in critical areas.
The Oke Ayedun-Ipao – Oke Ako-Irele Road, a vital artery connecting several communities, has deteriorated to an alarming state and posing a significant threat to the safety and security of residents and the general public. To restore the road functionality and ensure easy access, it has therefore, become necessary to embark on the rehabilitation works on the road. This project will alleviate the hardship faced by residents, stimulate economic growth and enhance safety and security along the road.
The contract awarded to Messrs. Dromo Nigeria Limited, is expected to be completed in 18months with 60% of the contract sum paid as mobilization fee for the job upon the submission of an Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) or Insurance Bond.
7. N61,095,862.00 (sixty one million, ninety five thousand, eight hundred and sixty two naira) for the extension of the Independent Power Plant (IPP) Network to the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES).
The approval is to enhance the operational capacity of the station and enable transition to a 24-hours programming schedule, previously unfeasible due to reliance on the public power grid.
BSES had requested for connection to the IPP network which runs nearby the station and along the Ekiti State University road.
The State owned IPP Plant, constructed to supply quality and reliable electricity to key government facilities, was developed with a business model that allows interested parties or willing buyers to make such requests.
The job which is to be carried out by the Ekiti State Electricity Board through Direct Labour is to be completed within three months.
8. N2,994,175,140.00 (two billion, nine hundred and ninety four million, one hundred and seventy five thousand, one hundred and forty naira) for the construction of one hundred and ten (110) facilities in identified schools and health centers in the 38 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the State with 55 of the facilities located in schools while the other 55 are sited in Health Centers across the State under SURWASH programme.
Ekiti is one of the seven states participating in the Sustainable Urban Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme now in its third year of implementation. The World Bank supported loan initiative aims to strengthen the sector institutions and increase access to potable Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services among participating States. The SURWASH project is Programme for Results (P for R) driven and disbursement is given by the World Bank for each facility constructed after the inspection by the Independent Verification Agents (IVA) appointed by the World Bank.
Contractors were pre-qualified based on online responses to the request for Expression of Interest (EoI) and relevant documents were validated by the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service.
9. N316,480,000.00 (three hundred and sixteen million, four hundred and eighty thousand naira) for the purchase of 110 nos Grundfos solar water pumps be purchased from Jovak Nigeria Limited under the World Bank supported Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH) Programme to increase access to Water Supply and Hygiene (WASH) services in Ekiti State.
The SURWASH programme is aimed at improving effective management and sustainability of the WASH infrastructure and has recorded some achievements in the provision of WASH facilities in Ekiti State in 2024. Additionally, there is a plan to implement the construction of 110 WASH facilities in schools and health care facilities in the WB-SURWASH Programme Implementation Workplan for 2024. These WASH facilities would be equipped with solar powered boreholes for the realization of sustainability concept of the programme.
In ensuring the sustainability of the wash facilities, quality assurance of key elements of the facilities, particularly the solar water pumps is critical. Therefore, there is a need to bulk-purchase 110 sets of solar-powered pumps directly from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). This will allow uniformity of the equipment across the 110 locations, and also ease the challenges of operations and maintenance of the WASH facilities. It will also allow for standardization and prompt completion of projects within cost by hedging against price fluctuation.
In consideration of the importance of selecting appropriate, durable and sustainable solar pump, a reputable manufacturer of solar pumps, Grundfos Water Solutions Nigeria Limited was contacted to submit technical specifications. The review of these technical specifications was satisfactory, meeting the technical requirements for the 110 WASH facilities and demonstrating high product quality. Furthermore, the manufacturer’s attractive after-sales service aligns with the SURWASH Programme’s sustainability requirements and offers a two-year warranty on each of the pumps that are to be installed by locally trained personnel.
The job is expected to be completed in four weeks.
10. N156,997,608.74 (one hundred and fifty-six million, nine hundred and ninety-seven thousand, six hundred and eight naira, seventy-four kobo) as the aggregated costs of the perfection of formal acquisition of properties to be affected by the dualisation project extending into the strip of land along the Ikere-Akure road and payment of compensation for one hundred and fifty-nine (159) claimants.
The Federal Government has indicated commitment towards the rehabilitation, dualisation and completion of the Ikere to Akure Road. This laudable initiative will no doubt boost the socio-economic activities of the State through the provision of accessible road network for Nigerian traversing the axis, while also enhancing the welfare of the citizens of the State and its neighborhood.
Towards the realization of this noble objective, the valuation of properties to be affected by the dualisation project extending into the strip of land along the Ikere-Akure road was carried out, with the sum of one million, five hundred and forty-three thousand, seven hundred and sixty-two naira (N1, 543,762.00) only, while a sum of one hundred and fifty-five million, four hundred and fifty-three thousand, eight hundred and forty-six naira, seventy-four kobo (N155, 453,846.74) only was proposed as cost of compensation payable to a total number of one hundred and fifty-nine (159) claimants identified in the course of the acquisition exercise.
The project is considered advantageous to the realization of one of the cardinal objectives of the Oyebanji administration and its commitment towards achieving a sustainable economically viable Ekiti-State hence the support to facilitate its prompt delivery.
11. N345,808,751.40 (Three Hundred and Forty-Five Million, Eight Hundred and Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-One Naira, Forty Kobo) as cost of inputs and incidentals for building and archiving of digital records of land title documents to ensure Transparency and Sustainability in the Property Registration and Land Investment Process.
The project which is part of efforts to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in Ekiti State, is also a World Bank’s “Programme-for-Results”(PforR) initiative In line with the present Administration’s agenda to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in Ekiti State, the State Government has keyed into the World Bank’s “Programme-for-Results”(PforR) initiative that could secure the State a Conditional Grant of $4.5m upon successful completion under the Area 1 of the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) Programme, specifically the Disbursement Linked Indicators 1(DLI 1).
The exercise is to be carried out within three months by the Ekiti State Geospatial Data Center (EKSGDC) through Direct Labour, in collaboration with the relevant Ministry, Department, and Agencies as follows:
i. Bureau of Statistics – Provision of secondary data and data analysis
ii. Bureau of Land Services – The base and leading ministry which provides C of O and other title document as well as all other existing secondary data related to land management.
iii. Office of the Surveyor-General – Provision of survey documents and control points upon which title documents are referenced.
iv. Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development – Provision of Layouts of Existing Estates.
v. Ministry of Innovation and Digital Economy – Internet Service Provision and data source and
vi. Ministry of Finance – The Hon. State Commissioner for Finance is the State SABER champion and in charge of financing the programme.
It was noted that, the state agency became the first to win a stretch target grant of $2.5m and the overall best throughout the nation as confirmed by the World Bank and another grant of five hundred thousand US Dollar ($500,000.00) benefitted by the State through Prior result of SABER DLI.1 due to the overwhelming performance of EK-SGDC in SFTAS DLI 11.3- strengthened the Foundation for State Property Taxation By Updating Property Records in Urban.
12. N500million naira for the implementation of the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land Intensive Investment in Agriculture (FRILIA) in Ekiti State.
The objective of the FRILIA project is to establish and entrench, possibly through legislation, the principles of recognizing and protecting land rights, principles of State land acquisition and resettlement, principles related to environmental and social responsibility, etc. in the land-based investment process including large-scale Agribusiness in the State. In addition, FRILIA aims to enhance agricultural infrastructure and ensure food security. The State Government also aims at achieving the annual eligibility criteria which is a prerequisite for becoming part of the “Programme for Result” (PforR)-based financing with an attached $ 4.5 million Conditional Grant from the World Bank. Riding on the back of the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme, which has created a mutual accountability platform between the Federal and the State Governments, the decision to implement FRILIA was taken in furtherance to the adopted multi-faceted States Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) to consolidate and deepen the prospects of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) programme.
Premised on the above, the Governor issued the FRILIA Executive Order and proceeded to inaugurate both the Steering and Technical Committees to serve as the machinery to drive the already designed implementation plan as canvassed during the 3-day intensive workshop between the 15th and 17th April 2024 at Abuja, FCT. The Committees’ assignments involve comprehensive and extensive statewide activities reaching stakeholders across the private and public spaces. The schedule of activities range from field/social surveys, stakeholder engagements, analytical procedures on the soil and the digital geography of the State, compensation, and resettlement matters, Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), Community Needs Assessment, Development of Toolkits, legal and institutional framework, among many others. Evidence of compliance with stipulated procedures is to be published on the State’s official website after due verification by the appointed Independent Verification Agent (IVA) within a specified timeframe.
The multi-sectorial nature of this project demands robust inter-ministerial collaborations, hence, the relevant MDAs to handle specific responsibilities were co-opted with weekly Technical Assistance Training to enhance the capacity of the in-house team by the Project Coordinating Unit of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF). This would ensure Inclusiveness, promptness, and credibility to the implementation plan’s processing and as well generate the desired result within the limited timeframe prescribed by the World Bank.
The extensive state-wide engagement by the Committee on FRILIA implementation plan is to be carried out by direct labour because it is designed to meet the set standards/criteria of the World Bank for the qualification for a $4.5 million Conditional Grant. It has to meet the deadline of 31st December 2024 within the short time-frame available without unnecessary bureaucratic procedures/bottlenecks.
It must also ensure cost-effectiveness by forestalling unwarranted contract review or price variation while correspondingly enhancing the capacity of the in-house team thus ensuring post-implementation sustainability and guarantee data integrity and security
It must be noted that the seamless exercise and impressive outstanding success in the State’s prior State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) experience is a remarkable precedent for the current choice of Direct Labour engagement.
The Implementation Committee Chaired by Governor Biodun Oyebanji will closely monitor the execution of the FRILIA plan for effective implementation while the GIS digitization module for SABER will be implemented by the SABER steering committee.
The project is expected to be completed within six months.
13. N1billion for the tranche one drawdown of the N5Billion EKSG/BOI Fund.
Ekiti State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji is proposing a matching fund scheme with the Bank of Industry, and the portfolio will be managed by the Bank of Industry.
The N5Billion Counterpart fund being proposed by the present administration through the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives in collaboration with the Bank of Industry (BOI) is to be managed by the Bank of Industry over the next three (3) years (2024, 2025, & 2026). The fund is to be contributed by the State Government and the Bank of industry at a 50:50 Ratio. The proposed intervention will attract a financing arrangement with the following terms:
-Project monitoring and recovery fund fee: 0.5% per annum
– Interest rate: 10% per annum
-Credit life insurance, fire, and theft coverage: 1% of the loan amount
– Repayment tenor: 12 months to 2 years
Each party will contribute a total sum of N1billion only as its counterpart funding in 2024 and 2025. However, in 2026, each party will contribute N500Million only as its counterpart funding in 2026 totaling N5Billion.
This matching Fund will significantly impact the State’s economy by increasing output, generating employment and diversifying the revenue base. The initiative which is a direct alignment with one of the administration’s pillars will greatly boost the industrialization of Ekiti State and the real sector of the economy.
Memorandum of Understanding between Bank of Industry (BOI) and Ekiti State Government (through, Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperative) was duly executed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) on behalf of the State Government. The first tranche of the fund is N2Billion contributed in equal portion of N1Billion.
14. N1Billion for the upgrade of the existing Ekiti State Youth and Women Empowerment Micro Credit Programme to EKSG/BOSAK Ekiti Micro Lending Fund.
The approval is to address the dire need of the average Ekiti State Micro, Medium and Small Enterprise promoter is access to funds and working capital.
The State Executive Council noted that prior to the administration’s resolve to create pockets of funding initiatives, Ekiti State businesses have had to grapple with the highly priced funds from loan shacks and financial institutions like LAPO, etc. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives therefore engaged some financial institutions such as Access bank, Sterling Bank, WEMA Bank and the Bank of Industry (BOI) to explore ways and means by which low-cost funding can be made available to the NMNSE ecosystem in Ekiti State.
In July 2024, the Ekiti State Government partnered with Access Bank to launch the N1Billion Initiative to power women owned business in the State. The aim of this partnership is to offer low digit affordable and collateralized loans which is priced at 10% per annum, but the initiative suffered some setbacks, thereby making it expedient to rework the strategy in a bid to quickly ameliorate the funding deficits for NMSMEs in Ekiti State.
Following a review of the partnership with Bosak Microfinance Bank, which has demonstrated expertise in micro-credit lending, to address the challenges in managing micro-loans, the program, the State Government is also proposing a credit fund with a tripartite structure where Bosak Micro Finance Bank and MEDA will be the implementing partners for the State Government. The scheme will be titled EKSG/BOSAK MICRO CREDIT FUND which aims to provide N625million in funding, with N500million to be contributed by the State Government and N125million by Bosak Micro Finance Bank. This fund will support indigent business owners in Ekiti State with 9% interest loans.
The approval is also to address the issue of limited reach and concentration in Ado Ekiti, the State capital with the existing fund of N120million.
A lot of groups that have indicated interest to be part of this initiative necessitating the need to increase the portfolio to N1billion.
It was therefore decided that the existing portfolio of N120million be buffered with the injection of N500million by the State Government and N125million by Bosak Micro Finance Bank making a total available fund (existing and additional) of N745million while and the sum of N255Million balance will be accessed in the 2025 approved budget as Tranche 2.
By partnering with Bosak Micro Finance Bank, the State will leverage on their specialized knowledge to better serve its’ NMSME community’s financial needs. This strategic partnership aligns with best practices in capacity development, by leveraging MEDA’s strengths and Bosak’s flexibility to create a more effective and sustainable loan program and drive sustained economic growth in the State.
Signed
Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun
Hon. Commissioner for Information
Last modified: December 17, 2024
