FERMA Engages 14,000 Youths
FERMA Engages 14,000 Youths on Road Project
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has engaged 14,000
youths on its on-going nationwide project, themed Right of Way
Maintenance Intervention Programme (ROW MIP). It was an initiative
that was born out of the need to tackle some of the black/bad spots
on the nation’s highways that has afforded hoodlums to operate
unfazed and caused several mishaps to road users.
The Right of Way is 40meters from the center line. It includes
the carriageway, road shoulders and Verges.
This initiative which has elicited positive feedbacks from
stakeholders, is in consonance with the Agency’s mandate and the
Federal Government’s drive to gainfully occupy the nation’s teaming
youth populace. The intervention centers on vegetation control,
cutting of over- hanging tree branches to aid vehicular visibility,
de-silting of silted/blocked drains and carriageways as well as
carting away of refuse dumped on road shoulders. It has garnered
momentum and cuts across every state of the nation.
Being in its first phase, a maximum of Fourteen Thousand (14,
000) Youths living around the road corridors identified for the
intervention have been engaged. Thus, making it a singular
government’s project that is taking these number of participants in
its wake. The participants are viewed as partners with FERMA in
ensuring the accomplishment of an aspect of the Agency’s
mandate.
One might wonder what differentiates this particular programme
from the others in the past. It then becomes noteworthy to state
that the implementation strategy is different from the usual
because ROW MIP is labour intensive, designed with a target to
provide a sort of safety net for the youths. It is more economical
as the usual practice of contracting these sort of jobs have been
eliminated. The programme has also encouraged some level of
heightened economic activities in and around the areas where jobs
are on-going. Beneficiaries get paid through their personal bank
accounts thereby imbibing banking culture.
At the successful completion of the first phase of the
intervention programme, it is the goal of the Agency to embark on a
second phase. Though, this will depend largely on availability of
funds.
Maryam M. Sanusi (Mrs.)
Deputy Director (Information)