President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of N28.8 billion for the 36 states as part of the Budget Support Loan Facility.
Each of the states will get N600 million.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo udoma, made this known on Thursday when speaking with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on the outcome of the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
With him was the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu.
According to him, the Accountant General of the Federation reported to the Council that approval for the payment of the amount had been received by his office and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been directed to pay the money to the states.
Said he: “Governors expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the restoration of the Budget Support Loan Facility for July and August 2017.’’
He said the Accountant General also informed the Council that the balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) as at November 17 stood at $2,309,693,583.35
He said the Council was also updated on the balance of the Stabilisation Fund Account (SFA), which, as at November 17 stood at N6,689,072,836.11.
The minister said the balance of the Natural Resources Development Fund Account stood at N100, 314, 169, 190,23 as at November 17.
Also speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Akeredolu said the Council received the Report of the NEC ad-hoc committee on Export Promotion.
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The committee was set up in September.
His words: “The report dwelt extensively on an export promotion plan geared towards achieving governments’ policy on the “zero oil Plan.
“The Committee recommended, among other things, the establishment of a National Committee on Export Promotion, chaired at the Presidency level.
“It also recommended the setting up of a Technical Committee involving federal and states MDAs to help provide technical information and direction to the proposed committee.
“The Ad-hoc Committee further recommended that export procedures and documentation be streamlined with the identification of existing domestic investors and engagement plan for output expansion.”
The governor stated further that the committee recommended the establishment of more laboratories and testing centres to help improve quality and standard of export and the domestication of the Office of Technical Regulation (OTR) as recommended by UNIDO.
Speaking on the market for Nigeria’s products, he said the committee recommended the deepening of commercial diplomacy, one-stop shops for export and a National Export Portal to generate global orders to link suppliers to buyers.
His words: “On Value Chain Development, the committee recommended the development of clusters along product value chain, market driven research and development and the provision of seeds and seedlings.
“The committee recommended the recapitalisation of NEXlM Bank, the provision of Export Development Fund in line with NEPC Act, a five-year financial window on export expansion grant and funding scheme for exporters similar to the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme.”
