By Jabiru Hassan
The Minister of State for Works and Supervising Minister of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, has inaugurated Dr. Musa Babayo as Chairman of the FERMA Governing Board. The inauguration took place on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja. The ceremony marked a significant step in the federal government’s renewed efforts to strengthen road maintenance across Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Goronyo described the new FERMA Chairman as a “proven professional and dedicated public servant.” He noted that Dr. Babayo’s leadership at the former Education Trust Fund (ETF) and later the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) contributed significantly to improving educational infrastructure nationwide. The Minister added that Babayo’s strong humanitarian background and longstanding commitment to national development make him well suited for the role.
Goronyo expressed confidence that Dr. Babayo would lead FERMA into “a new era of efficiency and performance,” citing his record of transparency and excellence in public service. He urged the Chairman to provide effective oversight, strategic policy direction and robust leadership to the FERMA Management Team.
The Minister also outlined the expectations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing the need for accelerated and proactive maintenance of federal roads under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He stressed transparent resource management, a zero-tolerance stance on waste and enhanced collaboration with the Ministry of Works, National Assembly, state governments and key stakeholders to improve infrastructure delivery nationwide.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Engr. Olufunsho Adebiyi, reiterated the critical importance of the road sector to economic development and national security. He highlighted the need for strong synergy between the Ministry and FERMA to address Nigeria’s road maintenance challenges and improve public service outcomes.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Musa Babayo expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him and pledged to reposition FERMA for higher efficiency. He promised to leverage innovation, technology and sustainable funding mechanisms to strengthen the agency’s operations.
“We shall deploy every available resource, explore innovations and invest in technology through sustainable funding,” Babayo said. “With these combined efforts, engineers will engineer, contractors will deliver and Nigerians will appreciate the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”
He further assured stakeholders of his commitment to upholding accountability and integrity in managing FERMA’s financial and operational resources. He also pledged to deepen collaboration with the National Assembly and other partners to improve funding and operational capacity.
In a vote of thanks, the Managing Director/CEO of FERMA welcomed the new Chairman and commended his wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. He expressed optimism that Dr. Babayo’s expertise would contribute significantly to advancing the agency’s mandate.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by FERMA board members, directors from the Federal Ministry of Works, directors from FERMA and other distinguished guests.
