By NaijaonpointOnline
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) spent ₦3,779,695,017.86 on the construction and rehabilitation of internal roads within universities, teaching hospitals and medical centres between November 2023 and June 2026, according to documents reviewed by NaijaonpointOnline
The expenditure covered 34 payments for internal roads at various institutions, including facilities located far from federal highways, raising questions about whether the projects fall within FERMA’s statutory mandate.
₦1.27bn Paid for David Umahi University Roads
The largest concentration of the spending occurred on February 24, 2025, when FERMA made three separate payments totalling ₦1,278,278,164.01 for the asphalting of roads at the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State.
The university is named after David Umahi, the current Minister of Works, whose ministry supervises FERMA.
The three payments were made under contracts numbered EMR/24-22, EMR/24-23 and EMR/24-24, with each contract valued at slightly more than ₦426 million.
The contracts were awarded as follows:
– Stoneworks Global Investments Ltd — ₦426,055,416.21 for Section 1.
– Agelink Network Limited — ₦426,197,534.89 for Section 2.
– Stoneworks Global Investments Ltd — ₦426,025,212.91 for Section 3.
All three payments were processed on the same day.
The pattern has raised questions about whether the three sections constituted a single project that was divided into separate contracts. Under Nigeria’s public procurement framework, procurement should be structured to promote competition and value for money, while rules against contract splitting are intended to prevent the artificial division of procurements.
Questions Over Contractor Experience
The investigation also raised questions about the profile of some of the contractors involved.
Agelink Network Limited, registered as RC 426726, is reportedly classified as an advertising agency and was incorporated in 2001.
Its documented government contract history is largely associated with Ebonyi State during David Umahi’s tenure as governor between 2015 and 2023. The company has reportedly handled projects involving hospital blocks, exercise books, LED streetlight fittings and textbooks.
However, the investigation said it found no public record establishing significant road construction experience for Agelink before the company received the ₦426.2 million contract for road asphalting.
Stoneworks Global Investments Ltd, which received two of the three contracts worth approximately ₦852.1 million, was registered on June 7, 2023, about 20 months before the February 2025 payments.
The investigation said it found no verified personal or corporate connection between the two companies and FERMA’s Managing Director, Engr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, or the agency’s Board Chairman, Engr. Imam Ibrahim Kashim Imam.
It noted that the connection involving Agelink, Ebonyi State and the university named after the Works Minister was circumstantial and geographic, rather than evidence of a personal relationship.
Spending Across Other Institutions
The spending was not limited to the David Umahi University.
FERMA also made several payments for internal roads and drainage projects at other tertiary institutions and medical facilities.
Among the payments highlighted in the investigation are:
– ₦299,332,188.09 to Saloguru Nigeria Limited for roads and drains at the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State, on February 26, 2025.
– ₦276,942,127.21 to Heriprom Engineering Limited for roads at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State, on March 25, 2024.
– ₦213,843,118.09 to Zornul Nigeria Limited for the internal road network of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, also on March 25, 2024.
– ₦84,413,142.96 to Laddo Biri Global Services for roads and drains at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, on November 22, 2024.
– ₦128,254,726.92 to Barqoma International for the road network at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, on September 14, 2025.
The investigation said its ownership research did not establish the directors and shareholders of Saloguru Nigeria Limited, Zornul Nigeria Limited, Laddo Biri Global Services or Barqoma International from publicly available records.
Where Does FERMA’s Mandate Begin and End?
The expenditure has also triggered a broader question about the scope of FERMA’s responsibilities.
FERMA was established primarily to administer and maintain federal roads. Internal roads located within universities, teaching hospitals and medical centres are generally associated with the institutions themselves or their supervising ministries.
The investigation therefore questioned the justification for using billions of naira from an agency responsible for federal road maintenance on internal institutional roads.
With several federal highways across the country facing deterioration and motorists complaining about poor road conditions, the spending raises concerns about priority, procurement processes, value for money and compliance with FERMA’s statutory responsibilities.
The development also highlights the need for greater transparency around the procurement records, project justifications, funding sources, contractors’ qualifications and the specific approvals backing the projects.
The questions are particularly significant because public funds are expected to be deployed efficiently and for their appropriated purposes.
NaijaonpointOnline will continue to monitor developments and any response from FERMA, the Ministry of Works or the institutions involved.