The Federal Government has assured Nigerian students that it will consider the construction of pedestrian bridges and improved access roads to tertiary institutions as part of its ongoing road infrastructure plans.
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, gave the assurance in Abuja while receiving a report from the North-West leg of a nationwide federal roads inspection tour conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Umahi said the concerns raised by students over road safety and difficulties accessing their campuses had been noted by the ministry.
He specifically confirmed that requests for pedestrian bridges would receive attention, adding that future road projects would, where feasible, incorporate routes linking major roads directly to tertiary institutions.
The minister said the government was already working on pedestrian bridge projects requested by the University of Abuja and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
He assured students that the Ministry of Works would remain open to requests that could improve their safety and make access to educational institutions easier.
Umahi also encouraged students to physically inspect government projects and obtain information directly from project sites instead of depending solely on reports circulating on social media.
According to him, the Federal Government remains committed to completing road projects across the country. He disclosed that the main pavement on the first 105-kilometre section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is expected to be completed by November 2026.
The minister, however, expressed concern over the alleged destruction of infrastructure along sections of the coastal highway, particularly around the Apapa axis.
He urged Nigerians to protect public infrastructure, warning that vandalism and deliberate damage could undermine the benefits of major government investments.
NANS Inspects Federal Road Projects
Earlier, NANS President, Akinteye Afeez, explained that the students’ nationwide road project tour was designed to assess federal road projects and examine their relevance to students and surrounding communities.
The North-West leg of the exercise covered Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states.
Among the projects inspected were the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kano Northern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Kano-Katsina Road, Kaduna-Kano Road, Kano-Kongolam Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.
The delegation also inspected the Zaria-Funtua-Sokoto Road, Kaduna-Pambegua-Jos Road, Wusasa-Jos Road, Mando-Birnin Gwari Road, Sokoto-Badagry Road and Illela-Dukamaje Road.
Afeez said the 122.89-kilometre Mando-Birnin Gwari Federal Highway was particularly important because of its role in connecting communities across states.
He stressed that road infrastructure has a direct effect on students because many tertiary institutions depend on major highways and access roads for daily movement.
The NANS president also highlighted the Kano Northern Bypass, which he said would improve access to about 10 tertiary institutions in the region while reducing pressure on traffic within Kano metropolis.
Afeez further appealed for a pedestrian bridge to be constructed around the Federal Co-operative College in Kaduna, citing the safety concerns faced by students using the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route.
He said NANS would continue its assessment of federal road projects in other parts of the country and communicate its findings to students and the wider public.
The inspection team observed various stages of construction, including pavement works, earthworks, drainage, subgrade preparation and the installation of solar-powered streetlights on some completed projects.
