The infrastructural decay at FESTAC town

By Oluwatoyin Malik

From left, Prof Mohammed Daura,
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration),
University of Maiduguri; Dr. Solomon
Badejo, Executive Director, Forestry
Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN);
and Dr. Augustine Onyeanusi, Assistant
Director, FRIN and Project Coordinator
at the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding between FRIN and the
university on sustainable timber project
at FRIN boardroom on Monday.
Photo: Peter EmiolaWHEN the idea of Festac Town, Lagos came as a project, it was to serve two objectives – the short term objective was to provide a first-class accommodation for all delegates and visitors to the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, tagged Festac ’77 in 1977.

The long-term objective was to put in place a model residential community with all necessary facilities and amenities which would correspond with the concepts and standards of a modern life and provide its residents a high quality of life and environment.

Unfortunately, the town had evolved from a model community to its current state of infrastructural decay, general congestion, high occupancy ratio, population explosion, lack of strict compliance with master plan proposals, among other abuses.

This was the submission of the Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive of Federal Housing Authority in a paper he delivered at a symposium held recently at Festac Town, to mark the 30th anniversary of the town.

The deplorable condition the Festac Town has raised serious concern among residents, especially those who knew it in the good old day of 70s and 80s before its deterioration in the 90s.

At the symposium titled “Festac Town: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, the first General Manager of the Federal Housing Authority, Sir Fortune Ibie, who also spoke on the occasion decried the situation whereby places set aside as green areas were later allocated for the erection of buildings.

He said it was unfortunate that 30 years after the Festival Town was put in place, the government was still being urged to do what was right, stating that infrastructure should be provided in all states by the government.

Sir Ibie recalled the kind of sanity that was in place in those early years of the Town, which he said had now been eroded. He however said that everything lies in the hands of the residents to effect the desired change.

The chairman of the occasion, Chief Lugard Aimiuwu, in his own address, wondered how a model city like Festac Town, which should have been replicated all over the country was allowed to degenerate into a stinking slum. Chief Aimiuwu advised that all must work together to salvage and restore it to its lost glory.

In his welcome address, the chairman of the anniversary committee, Mr. Joe Sanni, described the occasion as a soul-searching event. Mr. Sanni said it was the expectation of all that the symposium would reveal the way forward and that a few home truths would be told in order to sustain and sustain the Festac Town environment.

Many of the contributors at the symposium lamented the situation within the Festac Town currently which they said is now home to hoodlums, robbers, fraudsters and other criminal which has put its security at danger.

A look around the town also revealed the erection of kiosks, houses, tents and even the establishment of mechanic workshops with junk vehicles littering the environment.

Unlike before when only Lagos State Transport buses were allowed into the town, commercial buses, motorcycles (okada) now ply the place which had been said to have contributed to the high rate of crime being perpetrated within the town.

The submission of all the speakers at the symposium was that the federal government, being represented by the FHA, along with the state and local governments as well as the Festival Town Residents Association should join hands together to restore the Town’s lost glory.

FRIN, UNIMAID collaborate on timber industry, adverse environment control

By Tunde Opalana

THE Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), in collaboration with the Department of Forestry & Wildlife, University of Maiduguri on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a project to set up an environmentally sustainable timber cottage industry in the northern part of the country.

The agreement document, signed at the board room of FRIN in Ibadan was aimed at developing timber resources in different ecological areas of the country with the purpose of harnessing timber resources adequately.

Certain environmental factors such as desertification, reforestation, afforestation, sustainable forest management and wood waste utilization, according to Dr. Solomon Badejo, the Executive Director of FRIN, were put into consideration in putting up the agreement document.

Dr.Badejo said he was pricked to put up paper for the development of tree resources in different areas to cater for the supply of timber needs based on his research programme experience in the environment in Kano in 2004 where he observed changes in ecology and climate from one place to another.

Analysing the global impact of climate change on the environment, the don said adequate tree planting was an effective means of combating greenhouse emission.

While berating the unsustainable method of disposing woodwaste such as sawdust and woodshaving, the Executive Director said the Institute has come up with innovative technology of recycling such wastes to produce things like decorative face ceiling board and tiles.

In his response, Professor Mohammed Daura, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), University of Maiduguri, who led the Maiduguri team, said the project would be a welcome one in upper north to checkmate desertification and other adverse environmental conditions, hence the readiness of UNIMAID to collaborate with FRIN.

“We are willing to support and do everything expectedly to make this protect succeed”, he said adding that the project will be of immense benefit to the immediate environment of the university.