FG constructs 17 roads across tertiary institutions to boost learning
In its quest to construct new roads and rehabilitate dilapidated ones in all government tertiary institutions, among others, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing said it has constructed various roads and commissioned the same in many tertiary institutions across the country.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola disclosed this during the commissioning of completed 1.23 kilometer roads constructed in the permanent site of the Federal Polytechnic Oko, and one kilometer road constructed at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozala in Enugu State.
Fashola said, “The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached the school.”
The minister explained that to date, 21 road intervention projects have been completed with 17 already handed over in 2020, describing the Oko Poly internal road being handed over as a critical intervention to support education.
He explained that the intervention by the Federal Government in the development of infrastructure in the tertiary institutions was to boost quality of education and give students a renewed hope and enthusiasm with regards to attending classes because some defective roads have been restored to motorability.
He said: “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 feedback from the students of the schools where this type of intervention has taken place.
“Though the road might be a civil work project, it is an investment in education and the students are expressing renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes because some defective roads have been restored to good condition.”
Gentechnews gathered that intervention is unique because the infrastructural decay that body like Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been agitating for in their incessant strikes.
The road intervention is a wakeup call as the projects would impact the quality of education and the learning environment at the institutions.
The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Fashola said is constructing internal roads in 43 tertiary institutions in Nigeria under its Road Intervention Program.
According to him, Nigerians were employed during the construction of the roads with several other artisans and traders earning income at the site of the construction, thereby contributing to the job creation initiatives of the Federal Government.
The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Oko in Anambra State, Dr Francisca Unoma Nwafulugo who thanked the Minister and the Federal government for the completed project, requested for more infrastructural development in the School in order to open up the other side of the undeveloped lands within the campus.
The Executive Director of Sagez Nigeria Limited, Mr Adeyinka Amosun on behalf of the contractor said ‘The road was constructed in line with the Bill of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation (BEME) and met all standards of civil engineering in road construction’
In his reaction, Eduzor Chiamaka Favour, a National Diploma student of Home and Rural Economics said, “I have never seen a road like this standard in my entire life, so beautifully designed with bright colours.”
Okoli Cyril, a student of Science Laboratory Technology said “ I am happy to see this type of road in my school, since I was admitted in 2018 nothing like this.”
