Students of the University of Maiduguri (Unimaid) have commended the Federal Government for rehabilitating some of roads in the school.
The students who spoke at the formal handover of the roads to the school authorities praised the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola and President Muhammadu Buhari for the new look of the roads.
A statement by the Ministry’s Director Press & Public Relations, Boade Akinola said the 1.653 km roads were rehabilitated by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing under its intervention initiative. The project also included asphalt overlay of 0.303 km road in the University.
University of Maiduguri is among the 18 Federal Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria that benefited from the first phase of the internal roads intervention project of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, spearheaded by Fashola.
Speaking on behalf of the Students, the President of the Students Union Government, Comrade Abdulrahman Zanna said that the intervention brought the much needed impact on the education sector and would greatly enhance learning and boost the morale of the students in the pursuit of knowledge.
Zanna explained that Unimaid has been witnessing increasing number of students from the entire north east region coming for studies and requested for more of such intervention for the University.
He explained that the effort of President Buhari in the provision and improvement of infrastructure in the nation’s tertiary institutions was a clear demonstration of his commitment to close the infrastructural deficit in the country.
Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba said that the road was the busiest road on the campus day and night because it connected the students’ hostels and the commercial center on the campus
He said: “Motorists have now found succor plying the road. Prior to the rehabilitation, the experience on the road was bad”.
On his part, Fashola, who was represented at the handover ceremony by the Borno State Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Yahaya Ali, expressed optimism that the roads would impact on the ambience of the university.
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 schools.”
He also explained that the quality of education would no doubt be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environment, pointing out that the feedback from students in the institutions that benefited from such intervention attested to that.
“The intervention by Federal Government will improve the ambience and environment of Federal Tertiary Institutions to enhance academic activities,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor assured the Minister that the road would be taken care of, adding that, “There is greater need for more road to serve the University because of its expansive land.”
