President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has received resounding accolades from management and students of many federal higher institutions of learning across the country for extending his massive infrastructure development agenda to their institutions.
At the last count, 83 road rehabilitation projects had been inaugurated across the country while 66 of the projects had already been completed, 46 were just commissioned.
During the official handover of the 1.2 kilometer internal road at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom recently, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola reiterated that the federal government’s intervention in the construction of the nation’s tertiary institutions internal roads was part of government’s commitment to improving the human condition and a critical intervention to support education.
Some of the institutions that benefited from this initiative include Yaba College of Technology (YabaTech) in Lagos, National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba, Abia State; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH); Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State; Alvan Ikoku, UNILAG, Federal Medical Centre, Owo; University of Ilorin; the University of Uyo, Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.
There were also the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, FCT, Abuja; Federal College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan; Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS); Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ikwo in Ebonyi State; Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR), Isiuwa, Edo State; Federal University Oye, Ekiti State; the University of Abuja, Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State; and Federal Polytechnic, Daura in Katsina State, amongst others.
The Executive Director of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages Aba, Abia State, Prof. Obiajulu Elumejulu, while receiving the rehabilitated 2.1-kilometer road in the institution on February 18, 2021, declared: “This intervention is unprecedented. It has indeed raised the profile of our institute and confirmed to the naysayers that we also are a federal government owned tertiary institution.”
At the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where a 2.5-kilometer internal road was rehabilitated and handed over on February 4, 2021, President of the Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Hakuri Tamus said, “This intervention is a big blessing to the academic community, because the sandy nature of the roads before the intervention, made it slippery and the school recorded a lot of accidents as students usually fell from motorbikes.”
The Vice Chancellor, of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Prof. Fatima Batul Muktar, in her remarks at the handover of a rehabilitated 800-meter road in the institution on February 2, 2021, showed genuine appreciation.
Also, the Rector, of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Nasarawa State, Dr. Abdullahi Alhassan Polytechnics, while receiving a rehabilitated road in the institution on Thursday, February 18, 2021, said: “This is the first of its kind in the history of this polytechnic since its establishment in 1983”.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, also commended President Buhari, for the federal government investment in infrastructure development in tertiary institutions, adding that the road network handed over to the university was indeed in a very poor condition and was a death trap, to both staff and students, members of the club and worshippers at the Catholic Cathedral.
The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Dr. Emmanuel Ikenyiri, described the roads fixed by the government in his school as “critical infrastructure for learning.” He expressed happiness at the intervention, adding that the situation the college had suffered since its inception has impacted negatively on the academic activities in the college.
“This will make movement easier; lecturers will move to their lecture halls without encumbrances. The students are happy with what the federal government has done: roads are critical infrastructure for learning for every higher institution.
“The place was a forest for over 30 years, since the inception of the institution. Lecturers were scared, and an unconducive environment leads to tension but with this, it has made movement easy and created joy for students, lecturers, and other staff,” Ikenyiri said.
