By Ismaila Jimoh,
AbujaPresident Bola Tinubu has commissioned 10-unit of newly completed and furnished staff quarters at the Nigerian Law School Bwari in Abuja.
During the commissioning ceremony, it was also made known that the President had given approval for construction of additional 20-housing units within the same school.
Represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Senator George Akume, Tinubu stated that the provision of accommodation for the Nigerian Law school was part of a strategic intervention aimed at upgrading the infrastructure of the nation’s premier legal training institution under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
While noting that a world-class legal system cannot be built upon dilapidated infrastructure, President Tinubu maintained that providing dignified shelter for the administrators and instructors who mould the country’s future legal minds is a matter of national priority.
“The legal profession stands as the sentinel of our democracy, the very guardian of the rule of law. But we must ask ourselves: how can we expect the next generation of legal minds to be properly moulded if the teachers, the instructors, and the administrators who shape them are left without decent, dignified shelter? What we are witnessing here today is a direct answer to that question.” President Tinubu stated.
He commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his aggressive project execution, noting that the financial liberation of pulling the FCTA out of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has yielded undeniable results, giving local administration the liquidity and corporate flexibility to deliver massive projects without bureaucratic delays.
President Tinubu further commended the FCT Minister for granting Certificate of Occupancy to the Nigerian Law School and waiving the associated fees to correct what he described as a long-standing structural failure in the legal institution.
“Barr. Wike has not just built roads; he has looked at the institutional fabric of this capital territory and declared an emergency where emergency was due. When he discovered that this premier institution, the Nigerian Law School, had operated for years in Bwari without a formal title, he moved very swiftly to correct the anomaly by waiving the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) processing fees and demanding its issuance within one week. By so doing he has corrected a longstanding structural and historical failure in this legal institution.
President Tinubu also used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to completing initiated projects and urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in their support for the current administration.
“Do not be swayed by the antics of naysayers who seek to diminish our collective progress. Let us stand together, unified in purpose, recognizing that the temporary challenges of today are paving the way for a grander, more prosperous tomorrow”, the President charged.
Speaking at the event, the FCT Minister Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike revealed that President Tinubu had already approved the follow-up construction of 20 additional staff housing units for the Nigerian Law School to further address staff accommodation challenges.
The FCT Minister said the President gave the approval following a request by the DG, Nigerian Law School, for the renovation of the old and dilapidated accommodation facilities within the campus to bring them at par with the newly constructed ones.
“While the DG Nigerian Law School was talking, Mr. President asked me one simple question. He said, why didn’t I do more for them? I said there was no money. He now told me to announce to them that we are going to do 20” Barr. Wike said.
He thanked President Tinubu for the approval which he said was in addition to the ongoing construction of two 300-bed hostels for students at the Bwari campus, assuring that the project would be adequately funded to ensure its timely completion.
In her remarks, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, also conveyed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to national renewal, institutional strength, and sustainable development under the Renewed Hope Agenda. She commended the administration for prioritizing critical infrastructure and public institutions, while extending special appreciation to FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike—affectionately dubbed “Mr. Project”—whose genuine leadership and commitment to infrastructure development continue to transform the Federal Capital Territory.
Providing the technical details of the completed 10-number staff quarters, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, disclosed that the contract was awarded to Austlinks Energy Services Limited. He said the project includes the Construction of 10 fully furnished, premium 4-bedroom bungalow units complete with modern civil works.
Engr. Dauda explained that the project is strategically split across two locations on the Bwari campus, with 5 blocks situated on the northern side and 5 blocks on the western end and includes the provision of ancillary facilities like paved car parks, continuous water supply systems, dedicated power infrastructure, and comprehensive external works designed to enhance productivity and comfort.
The Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, in her goodwill message, expressed profound gratitude to the Federal Government, describing the Law School as a “critical national asset.” She noted that the initiative directly addresses acute accommodation shortages, allowing staff to live in dignity on campus.
Adding to the commendations, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, lauded the FCT Minister visionary interventions, stating that providing state-of-the-art accommodation acts as a crucial anchor in curbing the widespread “Japa” syndrome among academic and administrative professionals.
