NANS commends Umahi over road projects, recommends pedestrian bridge in Kaduna

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, for the scale, quality and pace of ongoing Federal Government road projects inspected during its nationwide road project tour.

The students’ body made the commendation after completing the Northwest leg of the tour, during which its delegation inspected Federal Government road projects across Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states.

Presenting the report to the Minister on Tuesday, NANS President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, said the tour was undertaken to enable students to physically assess road projects and examine their relevance to educational institutions and surrounding communities.

According to him, “We travelled the roads. We inspected the projects. We observed the work being done. And we have returned to present our findings, having completed the Northwest Leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour.”

Afeez said roads leading to educational institutions were essential infrastructure because students depended on them daily to attend lectures, examinations, practicals and other academic activities.

He explained that the delegation inspected several major roads, including the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kano Northern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Kano-Katsina Road, Kaduna-Kano Road, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Zaria-Funtua-Sokoto Road, Mando-Birnin Gwari Road, Sokoto-Badagry Road and Illela-Dukamaje Road.

On the Kano Northern Bypass, NANS said the project was strategically important to students because it connects several tertiary institutions across the Northwest.

The association said the project, upon completion, would provide an alternative route for students and commuters, ease traffic pressure within Kano metropolis and improve inter-state connectivity.

NANS also highlighted the importance of the Kano-Maiduguri Road, noting that it passes through Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, while the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia and Kano-Kongolam roads provide access to institutions in and around Jigawa State.

The students’ body, however, made a specific recommendation concerning the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route.

“For the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route, with what we have seen and for the safety of our students, we respectfully recommend the provision of a pedestrian bridge at the Federal Co-operative College, Kaduna State,” Afeez said.

NANS also drew attention to the ongoing reconstruction of the 122.89-kilometre Mando-Birnin Gwari Federal Highway in Kaduna State, describing it as strategically important for inter-state connectivity.

After traversing the roads, the association said it was impressed with the scale of the projects, their strategic distribution, construction quality and pace of execution.

“We are impressed by the large scale of these projects, the strategic spread of these projects, the quality of construction and the pace at which the works are progressing,” the NANS president said.

Afeez further commended the engineering standards observed on the projects, citing pavement structures, road layers, earthworks, drainage, subgrade preparation and solar street lights incorporated into completed projects.

He said the projects were opening up communities, connecting cities and states and improving access to educational institutions.

“From what we have seen on the ground, these roads are opening up communities, connecting cities and states, improving access to our campuses and creating stronger links across regions,” he said.

The NANS president said the association had taken it upon itself to inform students and the wider public about Federal Government infrastructure projects based on what its members personally observed during the tour.

He added that the association would continue the exercise as it moves to other regions of the country.

NANS also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for entrusting Umahi with the Works Ministry and for what it described as heavy investment in infrastructure development.

“We commend your stewardship, and we will continue to propagate these achievements as we proceed to other regions, because Nigerians deserve to know the work being done and the infrastructure being built for their future,” Afeez said.

The association said the Northwest leg of the tour had covered Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states, with further inspections expected in other parts of the country.

The report was signed by Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, President of NANS.