Estate developer promises to build N3.7b hostel for ABU students

An estate developer, “Elgado Worldwide” is set to construct N3.7 billion world-class hostels accommodation for students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, says the company’s chairman, Mr Elgado Peter-Shamang.

He stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) shortly after signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Public Private Partnership with the authorities of ABU on Saturday in Zaria.

Peter-Shamang said the first phase of the project with 800 rooms, when completed, would accommodate 2,500 students and the completion period would be 18 months.

While assuring that the company specialised in long term capital project funding, the chairman said the recouping period for the edifice was put at 40 years.

Speaking before the signing of the MoU, the Chairman, ABU Governing Council, Alhaji Mohammed Dewu had said, “This is the first time ABU is going into joint venture agreement with a private company on a PPP arrangement.

“This PPP is for the construction of students hostels. We appreciate the company for their decision to choose ABU to flag-off this kind of joint venture in Nigerian universities.”

Dewu described investment in hostels as a very long term to recoup, saying that the company would jointly run the facility with the authorities of the university, where the company would maintain and be facility managers.

“These hostels when completed will be the best across Nigeria with the multiple option of single, dual and multiple occupancy but not more than four students per room.

“There will be no squatters and it will have the best facilities in the world like central air-conditioning system, cafeteria, laundry, 24 hours light service, borehole facilities among others,'' Dewu said.

He said that the company would construct two hostels at Danfodio hall in the main campus and Sardauna Bade in Kongo campus.

According to him the university has a population of over 50,000 students but as at today it has only 10,000 bed facilities on-campus, indicating a difference of over 40,000.

He promised that before the end of the university’s council and management tenure, they would have constructed 30,000 additional bed-spaces to curtail students’ accommodation constraints.

In his speech, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha said his administration had accorded special priority to students’ welfare, saying, “Good accommodation will provide conducive learning atmosphere thereby enhances students’ understanding.”