News

Umahi Hands Over Supervisory Role Of Ministry’s Agencies To Goronyo

Published

11 months ago

November 21, 2024

..Calls for patriotism in discharge of duties

Joel Ajayi

The Hon. Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi, CON. FNSE, FNATE has officially introduced and handed over to the Honourable Minister of State, Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Esq. the supervisory authority of the two (2) Agencies under the Ministry namely; the Federal Road Management Agency (FERMA) and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF).

This took place during a meeting with the Management of the two Agencies and the Honourable Ministers on 20th November, 2024 in Abuja. Also in attendance were the Members of the Board of FERMA.

Engr. Umahi appreciated Mr. President for sending Goronyo, Esq to help him in handling the affairs of the agencies under the Ministry, especially that of FERMA, that has a lot of direct impact on relieving the sufferings of the masses. He urged the Management and Board to be patriotic in carrying out their national assignments, saying “put the nation and fear of God first in all you do; if you don’t put God and the people first in all you do, the money you make will go to nought.”

He, however, urged them to advocate for increased budget to enable them achieve their expected tasks, while promising his continual support to the Hon. Minister of State to ensure he succeeds in his national assignment.

Speaking at the event, the Honourable Minister of State reiterated his appreciation to Mr President for reassigning him to a capable hand like Engr. Umahi, whom he described as a man with vast wealth of experience, intelligence, patriotism, passion for the job; a result oriented personality: attributes worthy of emulation. He urged the Staff, Management and Board of the Agencies to extend the same support given to the Honourable Minister to him, so that, together, success will be achieved. He assured the audience of his open door policy to everyone with innovative ideas, so as to serve the purposes for which they were established.

The Director-General of FERMA, Engr. (Dr.) Chukwuemeka Agbasi and the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abduganiyu Adebomehin, FNIS, as well as the South-East Representative on the Board of FERMA, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, separately promised, on behalf of the Agencies, to work in collaboration with the Honourable Ministers in order to serve the entire nation efficiently and committedly, as well as strive to achieve the priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Also in attendance were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, Ph.D and Directors of the Ministry.

After the formal introduction and handing over ceremony, the Minister of State held a maiden Management meeting with the Agencies, where he drummed up the idea of creating innovative financing models to free up their dependence on budgetary resources from the Federal Government.

He also asked the Chief Executive Officers of the two entities to furnish him with their work plans, as well as itineraries for familiarisation visits.

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Ogunlesi backs Tinubu reforms as FIRS chairman Adedeji highlights export-led economy

Published

2 hours ago

October 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

After a high-level meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Nigerian-born global investor Adebayo Ogunlesi expressed renewed confidence in the country’s economic reforms, indicating potential mega investments across energy, aviation, and port sectors.

He was joined in that optimism by Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), who stressed that the reforms were laying the groundwork for an export-driven economy.

Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, Ogunlesi praised the sweeping policy changes under Tinubu’s administration, including the removal of subsidies, tax reforms, and the revival of a refinery already exporting aviation fuel.

“We had an excellent meeting where we discussed how to put Nigeria front and center for international investment. The President was very encouraging, and we shared useful suggestions on driving economic growth,” Ogunlesi said.
Although he declined to reveal specific details, Ogunlesi confirmed that his firm is actively investing in Nigeria and assessing new opportunities.

“Watch this space. Nigeria is not yet the most exciting investment destination, but that’s what we are working on,” he teased.

Pressed on the sectors of interest, Ogunlesi highlighted energy, gas, aviation, ports, and renewables. Drawing on his firm’s experience with LNG projects in Texas and Australia, he noted Nigeria’s massive untapped gas reserves.

On aviation, he acknowledged his reputation as “the guy who bought Gatwick Airport” and signaled interest in similar ventures locally.
He also admitted that one of his companies operates ports in Cotonou and Lomé but none in Nigeria, a point Tinubu reportedly challenged him on.

“He forgave me but said, ‘you have to bring port investment to Nigeria,’” Ogunlesi recounted with a smile.

International investor Hakeem Bello-Osagie, who was also present, underscored the importance of diaspora participation in Nigeria’s growth story.
“When Nigerians at home and abroad invest in Nigeria, it sends a strong signal to the world,” he said, lauding Tinubu’s policies for making the country “investable.”

Echoing the sentiment, FIRS chairman Adedeji described the reforms as the foundation for an export-led economy.

“We’ve done the fundamentals, and now it is time to deliver growth,” he said.

With global players signaling confidence, the momentum for Nigeria’s economic repositioning is gaining ground, setting the stage for transformative investments in key industries.

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