Property FG committed to bridging infrastructural gaps – Fashola

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Federal Government said it remained committed to bridging the infrastructure gaps in the country, including those of institutions of learning.

This was contained in statement signed and issued by Blessing Lere-Adams, Director, Press and Public Relations.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has said stated the importance of infrastructure to the learning environment and quality of education

He made the disclosure in Sokoto, on Thursday, at the formal handover of 0.92 kilometres internal road project constructed in the Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing under its tertiary institution’s internal roads intervention initiative.

Fashola was represented at the occasion by the Federal Controller of Works in Sokoto State, Engr Kassim Maigwandu over a total of 46 as at March 2022. Another 18 are now ready to be handed over, while 19 roads are currently being attended to in similar institutions across the country, making a total of 83 “he said

Accordingly, the Minister explained that the gap in infrastructure was being bridged steadily by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways, which had now reached the schools.

He further revealed that the Federal government has provided 83 internal road intervention projects in various Federal tertiary institutions across the country.

The road projects according to Fashola, benefited not only the students and the institution’s community but also provided jobs for youths, stating that 95 people were employed in the process of the construction of the road in the Teaching Hospital.

Earlier in his remark, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University Teaching Hospital Sokoto, Professor Anas Ahmed Sabir, represented by Dr Usman Malami Aliyu, Chairman, the Medical Advisory Committee, said that the entire Hospital community were excited about the project.

He explained that the project had enhanced a significant part of the hospital more accessible and motorable with asphalt road which has also given room for expansion in the hospital as new projects can easily be sighted along the road

“The commissioning of this road project will obviously mark the beginning of other assessable and affordable health care services delivery to all Nigerians,” he said

He expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the UDUTH Board Management to H.E, President Muhammadu Buhari for all the support and for providing the enabling environment to operate and further improve specialist quality service delivery, while also praying for more interventions to be considered and executed for the hospital.

Professor Sabir also commended the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Controller at Sokoto office for ensuring that quality job was done at the appointed time and not compromised.

The 0.95 km road in UDUTH links the new female students hostel; new Multipurpose Center; School of Nursing and Midwifery; Sewage treatment plant; Renal dialysis center;” Aminity ward and Nutritions unit among others .

Aggregate testimonies gathered from staff and students of the hospital community pointed to the fact that the internal road intervention in the institution has positively impacted in no small measure to the working

And Learning Environment In The Institution

According to the views expressed ” the road, before the intervention was not in good condition, it was wiry and scary access to clinical areas. But with the intervention, it has now provided easy access and comfort of movement in the institution. It was well constructed, illuminated and has added improved security measures for the students in the institution “

They commended the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari and described the tertiary institutions roads intervention initiative of the federal ministry of works and housing as excellent.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Doing the Roll-Out of Enhance e-Passport and Commissioning of the Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Katsina Command Headquarters, yesterday in Katsina State. Photo: Min of Interior

FG task stakeholders on functional national physical planning standards

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Federal Government has tasked directors of town planning and other relevant stakeholders on the need for development of functional physical planning standards for Nigeria.

The Director Urban and Regional Development (URD), Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Olasunkanmi Dunmoye, made the disclosure at a workshop, held in Ibadan, Oyo State,recently.

The two-day regional workshop was organised for directors and experts on preparation of national physical planning standards in Nigeria.

Dunmoye, represented by an official of the ministry, David Olakunde, said the Federal Government had, in November 2021, mobilised national stakeholders to drive the process of developing common standards and guidelines that could be applied to moderate physical planning activities in the country.

He said that the efforts had resulted in the generation of a general framework of core thematic issues to be contained in the proposed document.

“It was agreed that the framework shall be subjected to reviews by stakeholder groups at regional levels and this explains why we are gathered here today.

“It is a clear fact that the federal government and all sub-national governments had been applying one set of standards or the other before now.

“But there is the need to synchronise these to reflect our federal character.

“There is also the need for federating units to work together more closely in order to guarantee smooth, sustainable and cohesive human settlements development across the country.

“You will all agree with me that one of the most popular global slogans amongst developmental experts today is: ‘leave no one behind’.

“This is what the initiative for developing National Physical Planning Standards seeks to promote,” he said.

Dunmoye further stated that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing viewed the physical planning standards preparatory process as a landmark event that would determine the destiny of human settlement development in Nigeria in the foreseeable future.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to driving the process to a logical conclusion.

The director said that the stakeholders were at the workshop to discharge the task of preparing a tool that had the potential of guaranteeing integrated and sustainable socio-economic and physical development for Nigeria.

According to him, it is a tool that several other African countries have embraced and applied successfully to move their respective countries forward.

Dunmoye urged the stakeholders to provide vital inputs toward improving the draft physical planning manual, such that it would become the springboard for engendering harmonious development in the region.

He also enjoined them to play their respective roles with utmost diligence, thereby setting a very clear direction for eventual national workshop.

“At the end of the series of regional workshops at regional levels, we are hopeful that a fully acceptable, practical and functional instrument for the management of physical development activities in Nigeria would emerge.

In his address of welcome, a Director in the Urban and Regional Development Unit of the ministry, David Olakunde, said that the workshop was aimed at formulating acceptable physical planning standards for

Nigeria.

He said that the ministry had, in 1992, initiated the annual forum of Directors and Heads of Town Planning Organisations in Nigeria to engender productive collaboration on physical planning issues.

“Since then, the enthusiasm and support to the vision of working together for common good have been very high. It is our earnest prayer that the zeal will not wane at any time.

“Our coming together today is to deepen the ongoing process of preparing the firstever compendium of standards that will help guarantee sustainable development of the different aspects of physical environment and human settlements across Nigeria.

“We are here to build on what had been done so far and to introduce the region’s specific character into the document in the making.

“In welcoming you, I want to pose this challenge that we apply the opportunity of this workshop for maximum benefit.

“In the course of this meeting, we shall be relying on each and every one of us to put forward his or her best efforts into the various discourses.

“If we are diligent with this request, we shall finish well by improving the quality of these national planning codes and regulations,” he said.

Olakunde added that the workshop would also be promoting the synergy amongst different tiers of government as well as building higher levels of partnerships between government and non-governmental agencies playing roles in the human settlement development sector.

In his goodwill message, the Federal Controller of Housing in Oyo State, Mr Jacob Gbolahan, stressed the need for Nigeria, as a rapidly growing and developing country, to prepare and implement the national physical standard.