If things work according to plans, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment will soon award contracts through the National Automotive Council, NAC, to procure auto testing equipment and tools to be installed in designated laboratories in Lagos, Enugu and Zaria. President Goodluck Jonathan gave the approval at the last Federal Executive Council meeting.

Olusegun Aganga minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, said the contracts for the procurement, installation and training on the tools were awarded to the tune of €11.6million about N2.3billion with a delivery period of 36 weeks. He added that there was a provision of N3 billion in the approved 2014 Internally Generated Revenue budget of the NAC out of which the sum of N2.4billion was allocated for the auto testing tools.

While giving further breakdowns of the contracts, Aganga said under Lot I, the contract for the supply, installation and training on equipment for the emission laboratory in Lagos was awarded for €4.8 million. Under Lot II, he said the contract for an auto component laboratory in Enugu was awarded in the sum of €4.6 million. Lot III is a contract for an auto testing laboratory in Zaria, which was awarded for €1.2 million adding that the Lot IV, which is for the supply, installation and training on equipment for a metallic component and safety glass laboratory in Zaria, was awarded for €764,036; while the Lot V for a vehicle evaluation laboratory, also in Zaria, was awarded for €898,791. “The overall objective is to ensure vehicle safety and environmental protection as well as the quality of automotive products in Nigeria,” Aganga said.