NANS Calls for Faster Completion of Roads Serving Nigerian Universities, Polytechnics

NANS has urged the Federal Government to prioritise roads linking campuses and student communities, saying better roads will improve students’ safety, mobility and access to education.

NANS President, Afeez Akinyele, made the call on Saturday at a World Press Conference marking the completion of the North-West leg of the association’s Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour.

Akinyele said the association had inspected federal road projects across Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states, with particular attention to routes connecting major student populations and tertiary institutions.

He said the exercise was designed to assess the condition and progress of the projects firsthand and determine their relevance to students who depend on the roads for daily movement to and from their institutions.

“The road to our campuses is part of the education infrastructure,” Akinyele said.

“Students do not exist only within the four walls of their classrooms. We commute every day. We travel to lecture theatres, examination halls, and for other academic activities. We travel from our homes to campuses; as such, we depend on these roads to access our institutions.”

In Kano State, the delegation inspected the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Section II, Kano-Tsalle; Kano Northern Bypass; Kano-Maiduguri Road; Kano-Katsina Road, Phase II; and the Yakasai-Badume-Damargu-Markenzalli roads.

Akinyele singled out the Kano Northern Bypass, saying its completion would provide an alternative route for students and commuters while improving connectivity across the region. He said the road links 10 institutions.

The Kano-Maiduguri Road, he added, provides access to Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, while other routes inspected serve students travelling through Kano and neighbouring states.

The delegation also inspected federal road projects in Jigawa, including the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road and the Kano-Kongolam Road, which traverses Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states.

In Kaduna State, the roads inspected included the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Section II, Kaduna-Zaria; Nnamdi Azikiwe Road, also known as the Western Bypass; Zaria-Funtua-Sokoto Road; Kaduna-Pambegua-Jos Road, Section I; Wusasa-Jos Road, Turunku-Mararaban Jos Federal Road, Phase II; and Mando-Birnin Gwari Road.

In Sokoto, the association inspected the Sokoto-Badagry Road and the Illela-Dukamaje Road.

According to Akinyele, the roads serve as important links for students travelling to institutions including Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State Polytechnic and Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano, among others.

He also identified the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor as a major route connecting the Federal Capital Territory with major education centres in Kaduna and Kano.

The NANS president said the inspection had reinforced the association’s position that road construction should be viewed not only from the perspective of transportation but also its impact on education.

He said poor access roads could affect students’ mobility, safety and ability to reach campuses for lectures, examinations and other academic activities.

Akinyele commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for the projects inspected by the delegation, particularly their location and progress.

“We commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the investment in infrastructural development. Particularly, we acknowledge the strategic positioning of these roads, ensuring that they directly pass through and provide access to our campuses,” he said.

He also commended Umahi for what he described as the identification of critical transportation needs and the pace of work on the projects.

However, he urged the Federal Government and the Ministry of Works to sustain the momentum and ensure that the projects are completed to the required standards and within reasonable timelines.

Akinyele said NANS would continue to monitor federal road projects affecting students as the nationwide tour moves to other regions, promising that the association would advocate for infrastructure that makes access to tertiary institutions safer, easier and more efficient.

“Our position is simple: when you improve the road to our campuses, you improve the journey to education,” he said.