Federal Govt Inaugurates Team On $470m Security Camera Project

The permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, Abel Enitan has inaugurated the project management team (PMT) of the National Public Security Communication System (NPSCS) network for the strict implementation of the agreement with the concessioner responsible to undertake the repair, upgrade, post-implementation operations and management of the vandalised and abandoned $470 million Abuja security camera project.

The project management team led by the ministry of police affairs was drawn from the ministries of finance, budget and national planning, justice, Nigeria Police Force, office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), office of the secretary to the government of the federation and the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), was inaugurated yesterday at the headquarters of the ministry of police affairs.

NPSCS Network project was awarded on 4 August 2010 to Messrs. ZTE Corporation of the People’s Republic of China at the contract sum of $470 million and executed by its subsidiary, Messrs. ZTE Nigeria Limited.

The permanent secretary added that the project was jointly funded under counterpart funding with the federal government of Nigeria contributing 15 per cent, in the sum of US70.5 million through the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, while the China Export-Import (EXIM) Bank provided the 85 percent balance in the sum of $399.5 million as a loan with a 10-year moratorium, with repayment commencing in August 2020.

He charged the team to be committed to the successful implementation of the laudable national project stating that Article 10.8.1 of the signed agreement stipulates the establishment of a Project Management Team (PMT) to track the performance of the concession on a quarterly basis.

In his words, “the PMT shall be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the concession to ensure timely and successful execution of the Implementation plan and establishing priority areas of cooperation for the present and in the future; including all aspects of cooperation with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). The PMT shall be meeting quarterly in Abuja”. Abel stressed.

He said, “occasioned by its dormant state, several facilities of the projects were reportedly vandalized and others started experiencing progressive dilapidation. In a move to save the Project, Messrs. MPS Technologies Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was selected as concessionaire for the project in strict compliance with the BPP and ICRC regulations”.

Earlier, the director, police service department, Mr. David Awotunde, said the project is key to the development of the security sector in the country, adding that a lot has been put in place since 2010.

In his words, “The ministry is keen to bring every important MDAs on board for the successful implementation, operations, and management of the (NPSCS) Network.”