FERMA Employs 50 Youths, Improves Owerri–Okigwe Road Through Routine Maintenance Programme

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has engaged 50 youths from communities along the Owerri–Okigwe Road corridor in Imo State under its Routine and Preventive Maintenance Works Programme (RPMWP), creating short-term employment while improving road safety, security and the condition of the federal highway.

The Federal Roads Maintenance Engineer (FRME), Imo State Field Office, Engineer Nnaji Osita Collins, who disclosed this in Owerri, the Imo State Capital said the programme was designed to address critical routine maintenance needs on the highway while providing short-term wage employment opportunities for unemployed youths within communities along the Owerri–Okigwe road corridor.

According to him the intervention focused on three major areas: vegetation control, desilting of concrete-lined drains and pothole patching, the programme he stated achieved 100 per cent of its targeted key performance indicators.

Engineer Nnaji said the involvement of local youths was an important component of the programme, as it provided employment while encouraging community participation in the maintenance and protection of federal road infrastructure.

“The 50 participants Each received N70, 000 for the completed month of work, The intervention covered vegetation control, cutting and patching of potholes and the desilting of silted-up concrete-lined drains along the Owerri–Okigwe Road corridor, the vegetation control was particularly important because uncontrolled bushes and shrubs along major roads could obstruct visibility and create concealment for criminal activities.

He Added “clearing the vegetation improved sight distance for motorists, reduced potential security risks and helped create a safer travelling environment along the highway, silted drains could cause flooding and ponding of water on the pavement, thereby reducing the lifespan of the road and increasing the possibility of sub-surface pavement failure”

He further noted Beyond the physical improvements to the road, the programme produced significant social and economic benefits for communities along the corridor.

“about 50 youths were directly employed and benefited from the programme, thereby contributing to the local labour market and economic activities within neighbouring communities. The income earned by the participants provided short-term financial support for their households and contributed to economic activities within their respective communities”

Participants in the programme expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work and earn income through the intervention, while communities along the Owerri–Okigwe Road also welcomed the agency’s maintenance efforts.

Mr. Amadi Okeke who stays along the Owerri—Okigwe road axis where the work were carried out appreciated FERMA’s efforts, particularly the improvement in road conditions and the opportunity created for local residents to participate directly in maintaining infrastructure serving their communities.

“The participants’ involvement also strengthened community ownership of the road infrastructure, as residents became directly involved in protecting and maintaining an important transportation corridor.

The programme further helped eliminate potential hideouts for criminals through the removal of overgrown vegetation, contributing to efforts to combat kidnapping, robbery and other forms of criminality along the road

The success of the RPMWP in Imo State, according to FERMA, demonstrates that routine maintenance can simultaneously improve road conditions, enhance safety and security, create employment opportunities and strengthen community participation in the preservation of public infrastructure.