The Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, has completed a network of roads in different parts of the college.
The road infrastructure provision is part of reform initiatives which have been the hallmarks of Prof. John Emaimo’s administration since he assumed office as rector in 2016.
The completion of the network of roads put paid to the huge challenge hitherto posed to vehicular and pedestrian movements on campus over the years and simultaneously fulfilled parts of the aspiration of the Rector, Prof. Emaimo, to overhaul infrastructure in the college and transform the campus to a citadel of academic excellence.
In recent years, the college has emerged as a beacon of academic excellence, attracting students from far and wide as a result of the expansion and quality of its academic programmes.
Against this background, the institution’s infrastructure is over-stretched, more so, that its manpower has also risen tremendously as a result of the necessity to meet the needs created by expansion of the frontiers of the college operations.
Prior to the appointment of Emaimo as the rector, the existing road network in the college had more or less collapsed. Concerned about the implication of poor road infrastructure to learning environs and effective operations, Emaimo began the move to give the college a face-lift through construction and reconstruction of roads.
Hence, in 2019, he succeeded in facilitating the commencement of the first phase of campus road reconstruction. The project was an interventionist initiative of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing heralded by the rector’s appeal. The project included construction of drains on campus.
Completed in March 2021, this first phase of road projects gave the campus a face-lift and ended the era of collapsed road network characterised by potholes and threats of erosion in the College.
It also brought improved and pleasurable auto ride within the college and simultaneously created a more desirable and attractive environment for staff and students’ operations.
The second phase of road reconstruction in the college which took off in 2022 was executed by the federal government but equally facilitated by Emaimo.
It linked the new Rector’s Lodge to the main road at both ends and was completed in the same year 2022. It was the first time in the history of the college that this new set of roads would witness official construction with the laying of asphalt. This has further added value to the college and made it a more conducive atmosphere for learning and college operations.
The third phase of road construction also executed by the federal government, took off in April 2023 and was completed in June of this same year.
The first section of this project linked the main road to the second gate. The second section connected the Medical Centre to Students’ Affairs Department and ran through the end of the main auditorium of the college known as Simi Johnson Hall.
Also included in this phase is the road linking the new Rectory to both the main road and the New Rector’s Lodge Road.
This is also the first time in the history of the College that a road project would be deliberately designed to link both roads. The third section of the third phase of this road construction and reconstruction connected the Entrepreneurial Development Centre (EDC) with the main road towards the back end of the College. This particular road is a virgin road conceived by the rector to enhance activities of the EDC.
With these construction and reconstruction in three phases, the challenge of road infrastructure in the College has been fully resolved as there is no longer any road challenge in the College.
Also worthy of note is that each of the roads is adorned with solar powered illumination, thus making every part of the college a desirable place to be in the night.