The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) have entered into partnership to address challenges associated with road maintenance and affordable housing.
The Managing Director, FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, and his Executive Director, Business Development, Abdulmumin Jibrin, cemented the inter-agency partnership with the Managing Director of FERMA, Nuruddeen Rafindadi, at a meeting between both agencies in Abuja.
Rafindadi described the partnership as a force to be reckoned with because of the calibre of personalities involved and the spread of both organisations across all the states of the federation.
He said in a statement issued in Abuja by the Head of Communications, FERMA, Maryam Sanusi, that the collaboration would form a backbone upon which housing and road maintenance would be further developed.
“With this partnership, FERMA can help FHA to solve the problem of access roads to their estates, while FHA addresses the housing problems of the staff of the agency,” Rafindadi stated.
He constituted a technical committee to work out modalities to achieving success with the partnership, and said that the move would be effective as both agencies were parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
On his part, Ashafa said the partnership would serve as a model to other agencies.
The senator said FERMA had capacity to compete with any construction company that deliver infrastructure in terms of roads, adding that the road maintenance agency would help address road problems across FHA estates.
Ashafa pledged total commitment to the partnership with FERMA, while his business development director said the FHA had professionals who would work harmoniously with the road maintenance agency to achieve the set goals.
FERMA’s Executive Director, East Operations and board member representing North-Central Zone, Silas Buba, commended the FHA team for identifying FERMA as worthy partner.