Hon. Kasim Mohammed hosts Professor Akim Babatunde Fawoyemi as both leaders reaffirm collaboration on infrastructure, security, and opportunities for Gwagwalada residents.
The Executive Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Kasim Mohammed, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with Yakubu Gowon University (formerly the University of Abuja) following a courtesy visit by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Akim Babatunde Fawoyemi, and his delegation.
The visit, which took place at the Gwagwalada Area Council Secretariat, focused on deepening the longstanding relationship between the university and the Council while addressing key issues affecting both the institution and its host communities.
Speaking during the visit, Professor Fawoyemi said the delegation came to extend a hand of friendship to the Council, describing the university as an integral part of the Gwagwalada Area Council. He expressed the institution’s readiness to strengthen its partnership with the Council and appealed for support in facilitating the completion of the ongoing solar power project at the Giri Quarters.
The Vice Chancellor also conveyed the university’s goodwill to the Chairman and wished him a successful tenure in office.
Responding, Hon. Kasim Mohammed thanked the Vice Chancellor for the visit, revealing that he had already planned to embark on familiarization visits to Yakubu Gowon University and other federal institutions within Gwagwalada. He described the university’s decision to visit first as a welcome development and reaffirmed the cordial relationship that has existed between the university and the Area Council over the years.
The Chairman expressed confidence that Professor Fawoyemi’s leadership would further strengthen cooperation between both institutions. On the request regarding the solar power project, he directed the contractor handling the Giri Quarters project to meet with the Head of Administration of the Gwagwalada Area Council to assess and verify the current level of work before appropriate action is taken.
Hon. Kasim also raised concerns over the unresolved issues surrounding the Gwagwalada Neighbourhood Centre located near the university’s female hostel, noting that efforts are ongoing to find a lasting solution.
He further highlighted the growing congestion at the SDP Junction, describing it as a major security and environmental challenge. The Chairman recalled that he once chaired a committee that facilitated the allocation of a 50-hectare parcel of land for the development of a trailer park through a partnership involving the university, a private developer, and the Gwagwalada Area Council. He added that he is currently seeking further information on the status of the project.
The Chairman also appealed to the university management to pay greater attention to the welfare and development of host communities. He urged the Vice Chancellor to ensure that qualified indigenes and residents of Gwagwalada are given fair consideration during future staff recruitment exercises, stressing that the Area Council is home to many competent and capable professionals.
