The Nation Newspaper

Tag: monitoring

  • Expert seeks monitoring of livestock diseases

    A consultant to the World Bank, Prof Abel Ogunwale, has called for an improved monitoring system by animal health authorities to prevent the spread of livestock diseases.

    Animal resources are a critical part of its agriculture development effort for potential food and nutritional security, poverty reduction, income generation, wealth creation and improved livelihoods.

    About 70 per cent of  farmers  earn more than 50 per cent of their incomes from livestock rearing while the livestock sector contributes between 23 per cent and 35 per cent to the agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    Ogunwale said  climate  change can trigger  animal-borne diseases.

    He  urged  animal  health authorities to put on resistance to deal with outbreaks.

    According to him, efforts must be made to strengthen veterinary services, including surveillance, laboratory diagnostic capacity, control of animal diseases and institutional support to the livestock and agriculture ministry.

    He called for capacity strengthening of key public institutions in the livestock sector, with the specific objective of improving delivery of advisory and technical services to enhance the adoption of good husbandry practices and innovative technologies, and promote sustainable development.

    With greater surveillance of wildlife diseases, he added that it would be possible to control the spillover of animal viruses to humans.

    According to Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), animal diseases have become major global health threats. This is due to factors of change like trends in unregulated livestock intensification, climate change, trade and globalisation.

    FAO stressed on the need to increase information exchange amongst nations and research institutes on pathogen behaviour, adding that it is crucial to preventing, early detection and controlling the emergence and spread of animal diseases.

    To encourage global exchanges of information on animal disease threats, FAO’s animal health service seeks to create connections with Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that could lead to future collaborations.

     

     

    in order to improve knowledge in the field of disease surveillance and reporting. Often surveillance infrastructure and capacities for the early detection and identification of diseases is unavailable in developing countries.

     

     

  • Disaster prevention: We’ve improve monitoring, surveillance capacities

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday said his administration has scaled up the monitoring and surveillance capacities of relevant state agencies to ensure compliance with appropriate laws.

    This, he said, was to avert disaster and resultant loss of lives and properties in the state.

    The Governor who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello at the 3rd Lagos State Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Summit added that the administration would also apply sanctions as may be deemed necessary to those who run foul of the provisions.

    He said the government believed that taking necessary steps and precautions to avert disaster is an integral part of effective disaster and emergency management.

    He explained that the government may not have control over the occurrence of natural disaster but can mitigate the effects when such occur depending on how prepared the government was in terms of skilled manpower, availability of necessary equipment and response time.

    Ambode said recent events in some parts of the state have reinforced the need for proactive steps to avert disasters and possible loss of lives and properties.

    The governor stressed that this year’s theme is apt as some parts of the country and the world are witnessing an unprecedented increase in cases of flooding, mudslides, earthquakes, hurricanes among others.

    He said the government also shares the vision of the neighboring DAWN States in promoting effective, sustainable emergency response templates and ultimately every citizen’s safety.

    He said one of the key steps taken by his administration to promote greater efficiency among the various departments and agencies is the creation of the Safety Arena.

    He said: “The idea is to bring together these agencies whose duties are dependent and complementary within the same complex. These agencies include the Fire Service Department; Environmental Health Department; Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS); State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU); Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA); Safety Commission; Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA);  Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LNSC);  Nigerian Legion amongst others.”

  • Stakeholders decry poor monitoring of foreign aid

    Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have raised the alarm over poor monitoring  of foreign aid to the sector.

    They said the development may scuttle government’s efforts to achieve food security.

    Former Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria President Prof Dele Fapohunda said there was a need for increased government’s monitoring of foreign aid spending in agriculture to ensure the objectives of food security is achieved.

    This followed rising concern that aid spending was not being properly monitored.

    There have been series of controversies over money being spent on other projects other than the ones targeted by the foreign agencies.

    He called for more transparency and accountability of the aid spent by departments to support agriculture, adding that the country might not be able to move forward in her quest to reduce food insecurity.

    Fapohunda urged the government to ensure all departments are supported to spend foreign assistance to agriculture responsibly and effectively.

    According to him, the government needs to take an evidence-based approach to diverse departments handling foreign aid.

    A stakeholder, who chose to speak anonymously, expressed worries that so much money was being channeled from foreign donors to support programmes in cassava, and sought the strengthening of the department to measure how well the money was being used.

    The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has called for a regional project information hub to stimulate investment in Africa.

    NEPAD’s Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (IPPF) proposed that each country should be linked to a central hub to unlock bankable investment opportunities with information about projects accessible to potential investors.

    IPPF Co-ordinator Shem Simuyemba explained that the initiative would show the financial-readiness of projects in terms of the key returns that investors seek.

    He said unlike other parts of the world, the emergence of an indigenous class of trans-continental investors was only just the beginning for Africa, partly because of a history of state monopoly companies, which had crowded out the private sector and stifled its growth.

    Simuyemba also called for liberalisation of sectors still dominated by governments, such as information technology, energy generation and transport.

    He also stressed the importance of regional markets, saying they should be created through policy reforms, incentives and strengthened partnerships.

  • FG names preferred vendor for monitoring, evaluation technology

    The federal government has announced L5 Lab, as the preferred vendor for the production and provision of technical support services for its proposed Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) technology solution.

    This solution will empower citizens to monitor, evaluate and provide feedback on services received from government agencies. 

     A statement signed by Dr Jumoke Oduwole PEBEC Secretary and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade & Investment Office of the Vice President (OVP) said the decision was taken on Monday.

     L5 Lab is said to have incubated successful businesses such as Jobberman, Cheki, Kamdora, Pass.ng, Oya and Betazoo. “The company focuses its efforts on finding and developing great leadership teams and backing them to implement ideas and build businesses at par with the world’s best” the Office of the Vice President said.

    In a bid to institutionalise accountability and transparency in federal government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), PEBEC had on June 24 and 25, 2017, organised a Hackathon tagged #PEBECHack in Lagos, Nigeria. 

    The competition brought together 60 young techpreneurs (15 teams), shortlisted from almost 300 applications, to compete on developing a prototype solution that would allow citizens monitor, provide feedback and make complaints about the quality of services received from key MDAs and at strategic entry-point locations such as airports, seaports and land borders. 

     The winning team at #PEBECHack – Team Rhapsody – pitched an E-Government Citizen Engagement app that allows citizens make complaints and give transparent and empirically tracked feedback, which will be useful to the MDAs as they deepen their ease of doing business reform efforts. 

    Team Rhapsody received a prize of of N1 million; while the second placed team – InfusionTech – received the sum of N300,000; and the third placed team – ServiTrack – received the sum of N200,000. In addition, the top teams got an opportunity to showcase their products before potential investors at the Techplus conference in Lagos in July. 

     L5 Lab will manage the transition of the winning prototype to production with a timeline to go live by October 1, 2017. The preferred vendor is also expected to provide round-­the-­clock support and upgrades of the solution for an initial period of one year after go-­live.

     “We are very pleased to work with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in building this solution,” said Chika Nwobi, the CEO of L5 Lab, upon hearing of the company’s selection after a competitive and rigorous selection process. 

    “We are convinced that a solution like this would help to drive the change that the government wants and L5 Lab is determined to play our role in helping the Council achieve its objective to make business work in Nigeria.”

  • ‘Lack of monitoring, infrastructure hurting ‘Buy Nigeria Campaign’

    The Federal Government’s renewed push to encourage locally produced goods and services patronage is a step in the right direction, but failure to complement the campaign with adequate monitoring and supportive infrastructure remains an impediment, former Nigerian Textile Manufacturers Association Director-General, Mr. Jayeola Olarewaju, who spoke with The Nation has said.

    According to him, the campaign has the capacity to galvanise the manufacturing sector and, ultimately, stimulate economic growth and development while creating jobs.

    He, however, expressed regrets that the government had not done much in effective monitoring of the campaign and provision of critical infrastructure.

    “Encouraging patronage of locally produced goods and services is a sure way to incentivise manufacturing, but I am not sure the government is doing enough in the area of monitoring to ensure compliance,” he said.

    Olarewaju said apart from the military that demonstrated the commitment to the ‘Buy Nigeria campaign’, through the purchase of military boots made in Aba, the government had not been able to monitor other Ministries, Departments and Agencies  (MDAs) to ensure that they patronise indigenous goods and services.

    He also said the government had not done much to close the nation’s huge infrastructure deficit, particularly power, which has been a pain in the neck of operators in various sectors of the economy.

    He said, for instance, the provision of steady and reliable electricity as well as good roads and rail would go a long way to encourage local production.

    Though not new, the Federal Government at the 22nd Nigeria Economic Summit (NES) held in October last year in Abuja with the theme: “Made in Nigeria”, renewed the initiative as a way of revitalising the manufacturing sector and boosting its competitiveness. It also envisaged that consuming locally manufactured products and services would significantly reduce the pressure on Foreign Exchange (forex).

    Besides, the initiative, according to its promoters, would help reinvigorate moribund industries, which would in turn, help fasttrack the ongoing economic diversification agenda, promote the Federal Government’s Backward Integration Policy (BIP) and boost non-oil exports. Ultimately, he said, this would help pull the economy out of recession.

    But Olarewaju observed that despite the campaigns’ good intentions, monitoring and infrastructure stand in the way.

    He said for the initiative to make the desired impact, the government must match words with action by providing supportive infrastructure for local production and monitoring its agencies to ensure compliance with the Buy Nigeria Campaign.

  • Flexible FX policy needs monitoring, says ICAN chief

    Flexible FX policy needs monitoring, says ICAN chief

    The flexible forex policy instituted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) needs adequate monitoring for it to achieve its desired objectives, the new President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Titus Soetan has said

    He spoke yesterday during a media luncheon by the institute in Lagos.

    Soetan, who backed the new policy, described it as innovative system that allows the exchange rate to be determined by supply and demand forces.

    He urged the CBN to monitor the policy to serve the purpose of which it was introduced; that is, preventing the free fall of the naira and to stimulate foreign investment.

    “The institute is in support of the introduction of flexible forex policy by the CBN. The policy as a monetary system allows the exchange rate to be determined by supply and demand. However, as a policy, it needs effective and adequate monitoring to serve the purpose for which it is being introduced, that is preventing free fall of the naira,” he said.

    On the economy, he said in the face of dwindling crude oil prices in the global market, every avenue to generate sustainable revenues should be explored.

    “There is an urgent need to reduce the cost of governance, curb financial excesses by public officers and blocking all sources of leakages of revenues in the economy,” he said.

    According to Soetan, government at all levels should be encouraged to adopt transparent policies to reengineer the economy sustainable level.

    “As a professional institute, we urge government at all levels to initiate actions and policies to promote and provide enabling environment for business to operate with ease. The diversification of the economy has become so urgent in the face of global oil price crash on which the country has depended for too long a time,” he added.

    On corruption, he said the judiciary must realise its responsibility in fighting corruption.

    “Without eradicating corruption the government will not make any progress in its developmental efforts. The ICAN appreciates the efforts of the current administration and the Armed forces in fighting terrorism, Boko Haram. We appreciate the gallant effort of the army. It is our hope that every Nigerians will be their brother’s keeper by reporting any threat to the appropriate authority,” he said.

    On the bailout for states, he said: “Bail out to the state is a topical issue with divergent views. You will recollect that the recent announcement is the second within a period of 12 months. There are people who argued that they states are insolvent and deserve no further handout.There are also those who supported it because some of the states do not have Internally Generated Revenues and should be supported.’’ The question is that to what extent is bailout sustainable?”

  • Ikeja Electric launches power lines monitoring for safety

    Ikeja Electric launches power lines monitoring for safety

    To boost safety measures for lives and properties, Ikeja Electric has launched a novel network safety monitoring initiative.

    This initiative allows for round-the-clock electrical asset surveillance across its network by special teams, specifically set up for this purpose. The teams made up of safety specialists and technicians, divided into monitoring units, patrol the entire network armed with multimedia gadgets which enables them to capture damaged assets and imminently dangerous connections in real time.

    The data captured is relayed to a central control unit from where it is passed on to the nearest Undertaking where the Network Operations log the information and ensures resolution within the shortest possible time.

    Speaking on the initiative, the company’s Head of Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue, stated that safety in a high risk sector, such as the electricity industry cannot be over-emphasized because if the safety standards are compromised, the resultant effect could be disastrous leading to damage to property and even loss of human lives.

    Ofulue said: “Ikeja Electric will not compromise on safety. It is a high risk environment and coupled with the rains and high winds of this season, we have to continue the campaign of safety across our network. We are also aware that by putting forward these initiatives we are raising the bar of safety across the entire company with other industry players also raising their own standards of safety. In the end if we are able to keep people safe, we will be justified.”

    He noted that in consonance with the company’s health and safety mandate, it has issued series of weather alerts, calling public attention to common dangers associated with the inclement weather and these public alerts are put out in order that consumers may be more aware of their surroundings and adopt better and higher safety precautions in order to remain safe.

    “The monitoring team is a roving one, constantly on the move, scouting for unsafe and damaged assets: he said, while pointing out that managing the assets of the company was integral to the company’s ability to deliver safe supply of energy to homes and businesses.

    “The management solicits the support of the public in ensuring that the initiative is a success by urging residents who notice any dangerous asset, such as leaning poles, snapped or low hanging cables to take pictures and send to HSE@ikejaelectric.com, carefully noting the location of the asset with possible landmarks if necessary. Others can simply call our customer care lines, 01-448-3900, 0700-022-5543, 01-7000-250.”

    Ofulue also cautioned against conducting commercial activities under power lines, warning of the imminent danger associated with sustained activities underneath cables that may be under stress from strong winds and rains.

    Ikeja Electric was awarded the prize for Company with the Best Health and Safety Initiatives, 2015/16 at the Nigerian Risk Award -Economic and Social Risk Summit. This award follows an earlier recognition at the 2015 Nigeria Safety Award for Excellence, Hall of Fame (9jaSAFE AWARDS), where the company also bagged the Award for Company with the best HSE Practices in the Power sector, he added.

  • French club monitoring Utaka

    French club monitoring Utaka

    French Ligue 1 club Angers SCO are running the rule over former Nigeria international, John Utaka.

    The experienced striker is not a stranger in France, having had previous spells with top-flight clubs Lens, Montpellier and Stade Rennais.

    Allnigeriasoccer.com can reveal for the first time that PAOK had been on the brink of announcing the capture of Utaka in the summer transfer market but the deal collapsed after Dimitar Berbatov’s move to Aston Villa fell through, with the Bulgaria star joining the Greek Super League club instead.

    Though Utaka has been undergoing individual training before his arrival in western France, the attacker has to prove he is in good physical condition to manager Stéphane Moulin before he is considered for a contract.

    Apart from the aforementioned teams, the 33 – year – old has turned out for El Mokawloon , Ismaily, Al Sadd, Portsmouth and Sivasspor.

  • Presidential monitoring visit boosts FESTAC Phase 2 project

    The A seven-member Presidential project monitoring team led by its director, Mrs. Sandra Fadeyi, has vistited FESTAC Phase 2 project located in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government area of Lagos State.

    The visit was a boost for the concessionaire, the New Festac Property Development Company Limited (NFPDCL).

    Also on the inspection tour were some officials of Federal Housing Authority (FHA), led by its General Manager, David Kpue, the concessionaire with their consultants led by its Managing Director, Mr. Goody Egbuji. The FESTAC Phase 2 estate sits on 1, 126 hectares of land.

    Before the commencement of the tour, officials of the NFPDCL, had at a meeting with the government team, made a visual presentation of the project, detailing all aspects of the project, including already completed site investigation studies and preliminary works , the status of ongoing reclamation work  and some legal challenges that were standing as impediments to the advancement of the project. Several structures, mainly said to be illegal since they were built without the necessary approval from the FHA, were noticed by the team, especially a massive building erected directly on the main road and on a drainage channel, thus blocking some access routes, and causing disruption to the original masterplan of the area.

    At one of the sites, a member of the team, who declined to be mentioned because he is a civil servant, said the concessionaire has a an pu hill task ahead. Presently, the NFPDCL has commenced development works on the land, especially the sand filling and land reclamation aspects of the land. This is the second phase of development in the bigger land mass of Festac Town, whose entirety sits on a total land area of measuring 2, 024 hectares. The first phase was developed in 1977 and served as home for visitors to the second World Black Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) hosted by Nigeria in 1977.

    Consequently, the concessionaire has assured the investing public of good return of investment (RoI) as the development would make the estate an investment haven. Already, the concessionaire explained that the estate would be second to none and for the discerning investor, FESTAC Phase 2 would be an unprecedented estate because of the planned facilities to be put in place. For instance, the serviced plots to be realised through the concession will be complemented with green areas, off street parking, power supply, petrol stations, shopping malls, hospitals, hospitality centres, well laid roads, water  works, street lights, sewage disposal systems, and all necessary support infrastructure.

    “FESTAC Phase 2 has attracted strong interest from savvy investors who see beyond today in their investment decisions; this is why it is an investors’ and investment destination. There is an excellent location in here; the large population of Festac Phase 1 also makes for a ready market for any form of investment including schools, shopping malls, banks, eateries, and small and medium enterprises,” Egbuji explained.

    Real estate operators have also expressed optimism that the development of the FESTAC Phase 2 will transform the entire axis into a modern city and yield great benefits both in the infrastructural and socio economic development of Lagos.

    In September 2014, the federal government approved the concession of the Phase 2 of the FESTAC scheme to NFPDCL under a 30-year build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) lease agreement. Based on this agreement, NFPDCL, is  undertaking land reclamation, sand filling, infrastructural development, marketing and sale of the over 7, 000 plots of land to be created from the reclaimed land.

    Also, from the project, the Federal Government is estimated to earn N25.765 billion as premium and an additional N150 million ground rent annually for the 30 years of the concession.

  • Project monitoring as catalyst for NDDC

    Project monitoring as catalyst for NDDC

    The first two weeks of 2015 witnessed an unusual flurry of activities in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. It was not unconnected with the determination of the management team led by the Managing Director, Bassey Dan-Abia to hit the ground running in the New Year. This was evident in its crisscrossing three states of Ondo, Abia and Akwa Ibom, monitoring NDDC projects and insisting on executing them according to specifications.

    The Chief Executive unequivocally stated that the era of the top echelon of the commission sitting in air conditioned offices day-in and day-out was over. He said: “the new NDDC requires that we move out of the office to inspect projects. We cannot stay in the office to develop the Niger Delta. We need to regularly monitor our projects to ensure that our contractors are working according to our specifications. I need to confirm that the papers I sign in the office are true reflections of what is on the ground.”

    The people from the oil-producing area of Ondo State had often lamented that notwithstanding the level of intervention made by NDDC since its creation in 2,000, oil bearing communities in the state have had little to cheer about the commission in terms of major capital projects that would significantly change their lives for good.

    Perhaps, it was the need to assuage the feelings of these people that informed the choice of Ondo State for the commencement of the inspections. The first port of call was the multi billion naira Ugbo-Oghoye Road in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state. The 21.4-kilometre regional road, with 4 bridges, would connect communities that were hitherto inaccessible by road.

    There was excitement in the air as the NDDC officials were taken through the sand-filled portion of the road to the point where the pilling for the first bridge was on-going. The project manager of the contracting firm, Engr. Sciandrello Emmanuel was happy to announce that Barr Dan-Abia was the first NDDC chief executive to visit the project since they mobilized to the site in 2011.

    Barr Dan-Abia, observed that the project was strategic and regional because it would link up with the Koko-Oghoye Road in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. He said that the communities should thank President Goodluck Jonathan for making it possible for the commission to undertake such a gigantic project.

    The NDDC chief executive did not fail to underscore the enormous challenges posed by the deltaic environment, prompting him to call on other Nigerians to show more understanding of what it takes to develop the Niger Delta. He said: “This Ilaje area is a typical Niger Delta terrain and I wish other Nigerians will appreciate the peculiar problems we encounter in the region. With this kind of setting, people should not be surprised that the cost of executing projects is usually high. However, we look forward to driving on this road to Ayetoro in no distant time.”

    Barr. Dan-Abia commended the people of Ilaje LGA for their patience and understanding, especially for providing the enabling environment for the contractors to do their work, which he observed was progressing satisfactorily.

    On hand to throw light on the construction work was Mr. Augustus Owowa, the project consultant, who gave graphic details of what it took to cut through virgin swamp land. “We have to fill up to 4 metres with sharp sand to stabilize the soil. Here we are working on the first bridge and we have drilled 63 metres deep, yet we are still coming up with clay soil. Such challenges will invariably lead to variations in the design,” he said.

    If the Ugbo-Oghoye road is filling the swamps with hope and anticipation, the 10.5-kilometre Igbokoda-Orere Ara road is a dream already realized. The 7.3-metre-wide asphalted road with side drains, has already opened up new areas for development as the road has been completed. The joy and excitement of the people was written all over their faces.  Barr. Benson Amuwa, the representative of Ondo State on the NDDC board was not an exception. He conveyed the satisfaction of the people for the road which has linked Igbokoda, the commercial nerve centre of Ilaje, to Orere Ara and other neighbouring communities.

    He further said that several other communities in the area were looking forward to the commencement of the second phase of the project which would take the road to Orere Ara town and beyond and thus give the people the full value of the first segment that had been completed.

    Barr. Amuwa also led the inspection of the 3-kilometre Ugbonla township roads also in Ilaje LGA. He said that the road, laid with interlocking stones had brought life back to the town, The Ugbonla Monarch, Oba Henry Ogunfeyimi, expressed delight that the NDDC had raised the status of Ugbonla and made it to stand out as far as basic infrastructure was concerned. He said he was particularly impressed by the quality of the 3-kilometre Ugbonla township road which he said had become a model for other rural communities.

    “We thank the NDDC for giving us the necessary amenities that are now attracting our people to come back home. We are particularly grateful for the internal roads and the solar-powered street lights,” the Oba said.

    In Akwa Ibom State, the NDDC team inspected several projects which included roads in Etinam, Ibiono and Itu local government areas. At the 15-kilometre Ikot Isong-Ikot Akpabio-Edemekpo-Ndoneyo Road, Barr.Dan-Abia expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the completed section but regretted that the road was being threatened by erosion. He said that a ravine that has developed at a point along the road was not anticipated and was not factored into the design. He promised that appropriate action would be taken to protect the road from the threatening erosion.

    The NDDC boss remarked that the Akwa Ibom State Government had raised the bar in terms of quality roads. “The NDDC cannot afford to do anything less. Although we are not competing with the state government, we will push our contractors to march the Akwa Ibom standards,” he said.

    At the 10.1-kilometre Ididep-Ikot Odiong-Ikot Ibiono Road and bridge project, Barr. Dan-Abia said that by overcoming the challenges of hills and valleys along the road, the NDDC had demonstrated its capacity as an interventionist agency. He added: “The road traverses several communities in Ibiono which is one of the largest local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. Again, the road links up to the busy Calabar-Itu Road.”

    The NDDC team also inspected the 12.4-kilometre Oko Ita-Itu-Mbak Atai-Oku Iboku Road, in Itu Local Government Area. The project consultant, Engr. Eyo Peters, said in spite of the challenges of delays in the payment of compensation to some of the property owners along the road, all other things were in place to facilitate the completion of the road very soon.

    In Abia State, the team visited the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. There, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Henry Edeoga, appealed to the NDDC management to speed up action on the 522-bed modern hostel it is building for the university.

    He said that the university had expected that the hostel would be ready for hand over late last year and had, therefore, admitted 6,000 students on the assumption that they would be fully accommodated. “The students have been on my neck over the accommodation problem on campus. They even threatened to pack into the hostel even as the remaining work on the building is going on,” the VC said.

    The Vice Chancellor thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for directing the NDDC to urgently complete on-going projects before embarking on new ones, noting that the university hostel projects deserved to be given priority. He also gave kudos to the NDDC Managing Director for coming personally to supervise the project to facilitate its completion in the shortest possible time.

    Dan-Abia assured the Vice Chancellor that the contractor would be funded adequately to ensure that the work on the hostel was completed as quickly as possible, noting that the commission had completed and handed over similar hostels in Imo State University, Federal University of Science and Technology, Owerri, University of Benin and the Delta State University, Abraka. “The university hostel projects are very dear to us,” the MD said.

    The Secretary to the Abia State Government, Prof. Nkpa Agu Nkpa, commended the NDDC for helping to address the accommodation challenges facing many universities in the Niger Delta. He said that he was directed by the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, to join the VC in appealing to the NDDC to quicken the pace of work at the university hostel in Umudike as the only university of agriculture in the region.

    The NDDC inspection team had earlier visited similar hostel projects at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital which was virtually ready for commissioning, as well as the one at the permanent site of the University of Uyo which has also reached an advanced stage.