Fashola: FG Carrying Out Roadwork in 76 Universities Across the Country

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), yesterday said that the federal government was addressing the road infrastructure challenges in at least 76 tertiary institutions across the country.
Fashola spoke in Abuja, during the commissioning and handing over of the 1.05-kilometre road project rehabilitated in the University of Abuja by his ministry.

He said that the government’s intervention in the development of infrastructure in the nation’s tertiary institutions was aimed at boosting the quality of education in the institutions.

The minister, who was represented on the occasion by the Federal Controller of Works in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Usman Yakubu, said the intervention was giving students renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes where the government had restored “motorability” to the defective roads.

He disclosed that under the Tertiary Institutions Road Intervention Programme (TIRIP) initiated by his ministry, the government was set to ensure that the selected universities reap the benefits of the scheme in their institutions.

“We have successfully intervened in the internal road networks of 46 federal tertiary institutions and handed over 29 of the roads as at 2021 and we now have another 17 ready to be handed over while we are currently attending to 30 roads in similar institutions across the country making a total of 76.

“It is undebatable that the quality of education will be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment and those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedbacks from the students of the schools where this type of intervention has taken place,” he said.

The minister added that the summary of all the feedbacks from students and management staff of the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, had demonstrated that the gap in the nation’s infrastructure needs was steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs and construction on the major highways and schools.

Fashola described the construction of the internal roads by in the nation’s tertiary institutions as a pointer to the administration’s progressive ideal of improving the human condition by supporting Education.

In his response, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’ Allah, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the minister for selecting the school to benefit from the special government’s intervention in infrastructure development.
He said the road used to be the worst in the institution especially during the rainy season.

“It is a very important road in the university, it used to be one of the worst roads we have in this campus, especially during the rainy season and now it has become the best. We give thanks to federal ministry of works and housing,” he said.

He added: ” Tertiary institutions cannot achieve their greatness if infrastructure in the schools is not developed. With this internal road completed and handed over, Nigerians will be proud because it is a unity institution and belongs to all irrespective of your region.
” The internal road is very important and it will serve as a boost for sustainable social, academic and economic well-being of the students as well as the staff of the institute.”

In his remarks, the institution’s Head of Works and Services, Mr. Joshua Musa, said that the road was a death trap before its rehabilitation.

He said: “It is a big blessing to the entire students and management of the institute. We are grateful and very happy that the road has been fixed. Before now, we had recorded a lot of bike accidents on the road because of its bad nature.”
Also, the Registrar of the School, Mallam Yaya Ibrahim, described the project as laudable, stressing that it will ease movement around the school premises.