ASRI Flags Off Construction of Students Hostel in FUT Minna

Laleye Dipo in Minna

One of Nigerian foremost philanthropists and businessmen, Alhaji  Abdul Samad Rabiu, through his ASRI, has flagged off the construction of 108 bed space hostel at the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State.

The project is expected to cost N250million and will be completed within the next three months.

The intervention of the ASRI in providing hostel accommodation in the FUT Minna is coming only after that of an indigenous businessman, the Sardauna of Minna, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, and the federal government-owned TETFUND.

The ASRI has also intervened in similar projects, including construction of lecture halls in 16 universities in Africa.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Dr Ubon Udoh, who performed the ground breaking yesterday stated that the instability in the value of the national currency and other economic challenges facing the country and the African continent will not affect the timely delivery of all the projects.

Udoh emphasised the need for Nigerian philanthropists to join in the bid to solve the accommodation problems facing tertiary institutions across the country saying: “This is the only way to make education to boom.”

He assured stakeholders that the choice of the project would facilitate the relocation of the university’s temporary accommodations back into the main campus, urging  the students to ensure proper use of the building which is being  constructed with state-of-the-art facilities.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Farouk Adamu Kuta, in an address, lamented that lack of  hostel accommodation on campus “is one of the problems the institutions is contending with,” disclosing that of the over 6,000 students population, less than 3,000 are accommodated on campus.

Professor Haruna said with such situation, the university management cannot guarantee the security and safety of its students saying off campus.

Experts at the event said the major features of the hostel accommodation is that it is  designed to have an apartment styled accommodation with each room having an en-suite bath and water closet facilities.