The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Monday, approved the application for a $3.45bn loan to finance five projects.
They include projects in the power sector, renewable energy, states’ resource mobilisation programme, adolescent girls’ initiative for learning and empowerment and a women’s empowerment project.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, told State House correspondents that the FG would proceed to receive the $3.5bn “zero-interest” loan payable within 40 years with a 10-year moratorium, meaning payments would begin from 2033.
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Edun explained, “Today at the FEC, I presented five memos which were gracefully approved by the Council. They had to do with concessional and, in many cases, zero-interest financing by the World Bank and the International Development Association, which is the very concessional financing arm.
“The projects that were approved for funding were in the power sector and then the renewable energy sector. There was funding for states for resource mobilisation programmes to help them with the internally-generated revenue efforts.
“There was a project for adolescent girls’ initiative for learning and empowerment. And then finally the fifth financing that was approved was for Women project.”
The Finance Minister added that the girls’ programme worth $700m would support young girls within secondary school age to equip them with marketable skills in addition to their academic achievements.
Putting a figure to the project, Edun said, “$700m is the size of the current project.”
“So those were five loans totalling $3.45bn. And as you know, the tenure is all around 40 years, with a moratorium period of around 10 years and interest very low, or in the cases of loans, zero interest. However, some fees would be incurred,” he added.
