FEC okays $1.442m to procure ammunition for NDLEA

…N1.99bn for CNG vehicles, N985m for body scanners at Abuja, Lagos airports

…Bans single-use plastics in MDAs

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved $1.442m to procure ammunition for the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Lateef Fagbemi, minister of justice and attorney-general of the federation, stated this while briefing State House journalists after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fagbemi said the meeting also approved N1.99 billion for the purchase of 33 Milano CNG vehicles for the anti-narcotic agency

“The council also approved the procurement of firearms and ammunition worth $1.442 billion to strengthen the NDLEA’s fight against drug trafficking.

Read also: NDLEA bursts warehouse, seizes N4.7b drugs

Fagbemi said the council also gave a nod for purchasing two body scanners to be deployed at the Abuja and Lagos international airports, costing N985 million.

The FEC also bannned singl-use plastics in all federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The single-use plastics include those used as pet bottles, sachet water and other single-use plastics.

Iziaq Salako, minister of state for environment, who fielded questions from journalists after the FEC meeting, said the ban aligns with President Bola Tinubu administration’s broader plastic waste management strategy.

He said the council unanimously approved the ban, which is in line with the 2022 National Policy on Plastic Waste Management.

Salako decried the severity of plastic pollution in Nigeria, describing it as “a major issue in our country”.

He said plastic waste often clogs drains and contributes to flooding, pollutes the oceans and affect human health and the environment.