FERMA Partners with FHA on Infrastructure Development, Launches Project Delivery Team for PPP Initiatives

 

Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Director General/CEO Eng. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, PhD, has welcomed a proposed strategic partnership from the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to improve housing projects by providing accessible and drivable roads.

This collaboration is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes the importance of both housing and road infrastructure.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Director General/CEO of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, at the Agency’s headquarters on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Eng. Agbasi underscored the critical role of road infrastructure in the success of housing projects.

“Road and housing infrastructure are essential components of the Renewed Hope Agenda, and because the roads leading to these projects are federal roads, FERMA will ensure they are driveable.”

According to Agbasi, a team will be formed to assess the scope of the work and we will incorporate it into the 2025 budget allocation, while seeking alternative sources of funding.”

He further highlighted FERMA’s potential to leverage partnership to develop the Agency’s territory, expressing optimism for a long-term relationship that will improve service delivery for all Nigerians.

Responding, Honourable Oyetunde Ojo, MD/CEO, FHA, explained that the partnership is critical to achieving President Tinubu’s agenda of providing affordable housing. He appealed to FERMA to prioritise the rehabilitation of roads leading to key FHA estates, particularly those in Gwarimpa and Lugbe in Abuja, as well as FESTAC in Lagos. “Accessible roads are critical to the success of housing projects and FERMA’s support will enable FHA to focus on providing affordable housing to Nigerians, including FERMA staff, who will be among the beneficiaries,” Ojo noted.

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Honourable Ojo further commended the FERMA project for some well-maintained roads in Ekiti State and some estates in Gwarimpa FCT and Kano State respectively.

In a similar development, Eng. Agbasi inaugurated the FERMA Integrated Project Delivery Team (FIPDT), a strategic initiative designed to address the challenges of financing infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The newly formed team will focus on commercializing FERMA’s unused physical assets, implementing a contractual forbearance strategy, and diversifying revenue streams to ensure effective management of the assets.

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Eng. Agbasi highlighted the importance of this initiative, saying: “The limited capacity of the Federal Government to fully finance infrastructure projects has made PPPs an essential solution. By leveraging this approach, FERMA can fill financing gaps, generate new revenue streams and ensure the efficient delivery of critical infrastructure.”

The ten-member team, led by Mr. Nyihemba Luper Daniel, includes representatives from various disciplines, including Mr. Akwu Okolo from the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC). They will be responsible for driving the success of FERMA’s Maintain-Operate-Transfer (MOT) PPP program, positioning the agency for long-term sustainability.

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Both the partnership with FHA and the inauguration of the FIPDT are expected to significantly strengthen FERMA’s capacity to deliver on its mandate of ensuring Nigerians have the right to well-maintained roads and affordable housing, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Signed
Maryam Sanusi, Director of Information and Public Relations.

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