One of the major enemies of peace, unity and development in the world is the inability of the human race to stand for truth, to defend it, nurture it and live by truth irrespective of whose ox is gored. Truth though very difficult to practice, but in as much as the human race are shying away from toeing the path of truth, it will be very difficult for Nigeria, Africa and the world at large Nigeria to attain the desired height. On this note, I, with all sincerity, commend the special appearance of Distinguished Senator Babangida Hussaini, the Walin Kazaure, Chairman, Senate Committee, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on January 17, 2025, Good Morning Show on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
I choose to appraise the appearance of the Walin Kazaure on NTA because it demonstrates his humility, concern and love for the general wellbeing of Nigeria and her citizens. It also underscores his unwavering commitment to effectively and efficiently deliver his mandate. Senator Hussaini’s appearance was fascinating mainly because the issue that was deliberated on is the live-wire of every Nigerian especially in this era when the global community is on a competition to take development to both the Sahara desert and the hinterland.
The issue that brought Hussaini to NTA Network Center Abuja transmission station as special guest was the state of roads across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). So, as a public affairs analyst, civil society activist, and human/community development advocate, I found the subject matter very interesting. Thus, I paid rapt attention to the discourse on the show that lasted an hour from 7am-9am. In all honesty, to say the condition of Nigeria’s roads whether trunk A, B or roads domiciled at the grassroots are eyesores or death traps is stating the obvious. Nigeria’s roads indeed need urgent attention.
No doubt, successive governments right from the colonial era till date tried their best to ensure that every segment of Nigerian territory is linked either with the trunk A, B or local roads. However, more needs to be done for the reason that the values and merits of roads to the socio-economic development of any society cannot be over-emphasised. Human existence without good roads is like existing in darkness, where access to basic amenities and civilisation is a pipedream. In this juncture, it’s pertinent to examine the FERMA Act 2002 as amended in 2007.
The Act raises the following pertinent questions: How is the road maintenance infrastructure in Nigeria paid for? Does the Nigerian government spend much on new roads/bridges or, on maintaining the existing ones? The Act also demands to know the total number of miles of roads in Nigeria, which is approximately 36,000km. Who designed and builds roads in Nigeria, which of course is the primary responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Works in collaboration with designated consultants, and constructed in accordance with global best practice?
The Act further emphasises the importance of road maintenance to ensure durability, safety, and enhance economic growth of Nigeria. The poser is, is FERMA meeting its mandate on road maintenance across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria? Invariably, the answer should be no! This negative response flows from the poor funding of the federal agency over the years. The January 17, 2025, NTA Good Morning Show made a lot of revelations about FERMA. It espoused the fact that for Nigeria to get it right on road maintenance, the leadership of FERMA must be qualified engineers with vast experience in road construction and management. This is because, though Engineer Chukwuemeka Agbasi, the current Managing Director of FERMA, and Engineer Ibrahim Kashim Imam, its board chairman, are professionals, but they need to sit up by prioritising the maintenance of Nigeria’s roads.
As I watched that Morning Show, which also featured the FERMA MD alongside Engineer Saidu Hassan and Senator Babangida Hussaini, most of the input made by Engineer Agbasi regarding the agenda of FERMA and his needs assessment, didn’t really go down well with Nigerians. So, Agbasi needs to sit up in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He should ensure that every road across the federation is properly maintained. Again, I commend the intelligence of Saidu Hassan who also appeared as a special guest on the Good Morning Show. His contribution shows his full grasp of the bad conditions of Nigeria’s road; FERMA should engage him as a consultant because he has a lot to offer.
I want to conclude by appraising the leadership qualities of Senator Babangida Hussaini, representing Jigawa North-west, Jigawa state. From his contribution during the show, it’s clear that he is a technocrat with vast knowledge of community development. Though I have not met him physically, but my respect and admiration for Senator Hussaini has increased in view of his honesty and leadership disposition about Nigeria’s roads. I believe that being the senate committee chairman on FERMA, he will ensure that roads across Nigeria get the required attention. Senator Babangida Hussaini Walin Kazaure, Sir, I urge you to continue your good work. The sky will not be your limit but, cloud nine. Above and beyond, I see you as the governor of Jigawa state in the nearest future.