FG building 43 roads in tertiary schools nationwide - Fashola confirms

The government is currently rebuilding 43 roads within tertiary schools across the country, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has said. The minister said the roads are being constructed to enhance the learning environment in these schools.

According to Boade Akinola, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, the minister said this while handing over a 2km internal road, reconstructed by his ministry at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.

The Minister, who was represented at the event by the Federal Controller of Works, in Benue State, Mr. Charles Oke, stressed that it was not debatable that the quality of education would be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and learning environment, according to PMNews Nigeria.

“Those who doubt it should simply listen to some of the feedback from students in the schools, where this type of intervention had taken place,” the minister added.

Fashola said that the students have shown renewed enthusiasm for attending classes because some defective roads had been restored to good condition.

He said besides impacting the condition of learning in the schools, the intervention project had also created jobs for Nigerians.

He also explained that the infrastructure gap in the country was steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal, and reconstruction of major highways, which had now reached the schools.

Fashola urged the university management to take ownership and ensure that the road asset was properly utilized and maintained, assuring that the Federal Government would do more to the development of its institutions, PMNews Nigeria reports.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Anande Kimbir, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and the Minister of Works and Housing, for the road.

He said barely two months ago, a 8.25MW Solar Hybrid Power Plant was commissioned in the School.

” The eloquent message from these projects is that the gap in infrastructural needs of the University is being steadily bridged by the Administration of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

“The University is really deficient in the quantum and quality of adjectives to convey her true feeling of gratitude and happiness,” he said.

The VC added: “The positive impact of this project on campus life is highly invaluable, as it addresses Infrastructural needs of the University with direct bearing on the quality of learning environment, easy movement on the campus for staff, students and members of the host community.”

Although the school was not in session, some 400 level students of the university, who attended the commissioning ceremony: Onwe Samson and Onmonya Paul, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and the minister for the road.

They solicited for a road that would link the school to the town directly without going through outlying villages, as this would help to curb insecurity.

In attendance at the brief handover ceremony were traditional rulers and some members of the University Governing Council.