FERMA Engages 14,000
FERMA Engages 14,000 Youths on ROW- MIP
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)
27th March, 2019