The Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi, has said the agency is open to partnering with the United Kingdom Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) for technical support which will aid in project delivery.
He stated this when the Managing Director UKNIAF, Prof. Chidi Onyia, led a team of representatives of the organization on a visit to FERMA, recently to seek technical partnership.
UKNIAF is a Department for Internal Development (DFID) funded technical assistance programme designed to support Nigeria’s infrastructure development with special focus on power, roads, capital budgeting, public partnership infrastructure financing and infrastructure rehabilitation in the North East region.
The aim of the program is in two fold, to improve institutional management and decision making process regarding social and economic infrastructures, to enhance the institutional environment and structures supporting the raising and allocation of public private partnership finance.
The MD added that FERMA and Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (NIAF) have formed a strong partnership in the past which include technical support in the use of evidence based planning for road maintenance investment. He further said that with the partnership with NIAF, the framework for demand led technical support to FERMA under the current UKNIAF programme has been finalized.