News
Umahi Hands Over Supervisory Role Of Ministry’s Agencies To Goronyo
..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.
Foreign news
Algeria’s Glorious Revolution: Embassy Marks 72nd Anniversary in Abuja
Joel Ajayi
The Embassy of Algeria in Nigeria has commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the country’s Glorious Revolution of November 1, 1954, with a reception in Abuja, highlighting Algeria’s liberation struggle and strengthening diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
The event, held on November 9, 2026, at Continental Suites Hotel, attracted prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Federal Government, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other friends of Algeria.
Speaking at the reception, Algeria’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, welcomed guests and paid tribute to the country’s freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle for independence.
He described the November 1, 1954 revolution as the foundation of modern Algeria, noting that the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs made it possible for the country to reclaim its sovereignty.
On Algeria’s development agenda, Mezoued said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration had continued to pursue economic reforms, diversification and national development under its New Algeria vision.
He noted that the country was recording progress in non-hydrocarbon exports, while improvements in the business environment had boosted investor confidence and attracted significant foreign investments.
On foreign policy, the ambassador reaffirmed Algeria’s commitment to non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, peaceful conflict resolution and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Addressing security challenges in the Sahel, he stressed that lasting peace could not be achieved through military measures alone, insisting that economic development, inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes remained essential.
Turning to Nigeria-Algeria relations, Mezoued described the partnership as one founded on shared values and the commitment of both countries’ leaders to advancing African development.
He identified the Trans-Saharan Highway, Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone as major strategic projects receiving attention from both countries.
The ambassador also disclosed that Algeria had continued to provide scholarships to Nigerian students to strengthen human capital development and capacity building.
He further announced that Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian operations on October 26, 2026, with the introduction of two weekly flights to Lagos, expressing confidence that the service would boost trade and tourism.
Looking ahead, Mezoued said 2027 would offer fresh opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly through the fifth Joint High Bi-National Commission scheduled to hold in Abuja.
He expressed optimism that the meeting would provide an opportunity to assess existing partnerships, identify new areas of cooperation and move Nigeria-Algeria relations towards a more practical and results-driven phase.
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