By Joy Salami
The Executive President of the National Association of Kogi State Students (NAKOSS), Federal University Lokoja Chapter, Comrade Yahaya Ojimaojo, has unveiled plans for the construction of a N12.7 million Keke Park Pavilion aimed at providing shelter and order at the institution’s internal transport hub.
Ojimaojo disclosed that the project conceived by the student leadership of NAKOSS in the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) chapter, was born out of pressing challenges faced daily by students, particularly the lack of a proper waiting area for tricycles, popularly known as “keke,” within the campus.
According to him, the absence of a structured and covered waiting space has exposed students to harsh weather conditions, especially during the ongoing rainy season.
“We looked around at the immediate problems students are facing currently. Apart from other little challenges in the institution, if you check from the top of our faculties down to the gates, there is no place where students can actually put their heads when they are waiting for keke. Now that we are in the rainy season, students stand waiting without any proper cover”, he said.
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He explained that even the existing gate areas offer little protection, noting that standing beneath them sometimes provides no difference from standing directly under the rain.
The proposed Keke Park Pavilion, according to him, is designed not only to provide shelter but also to bring order to the boarding system of tricycles operating within the university.
Ojimaojo explained that the pavilion would be constructed at the existing keke park within the campus and would include in-built seating arrangements for students.
“It is already a keke park; that is why we named it the Keke Park Pavilion. We are building it in a way that there will be in-built seats. When students are waiting for keke to come and pick them, they can sit down comfortably,” he said.
Beyond comfort, the NAKOSS president stressed that the structure would help regulate the movement of tricycles, reducing the rush and disorder often experienced during peak hours.
“The project will restructure the way students board keke. They will not rush into it again. There will be a system where one keke comes in, picks those on ground first, goes out, and another one comes in. It will be orderly”, he stated.
He further clarified that tricycle operations within the school are regulated, with only registered operators allowed to function inside the campus, while others operate externally.
Ojimaojo disclosed that the keke working inside the school are registered and they run only inside. Those outside have their own space outside. So this pavilion will serve those operating within the campus.
Providing a breakdown of the financial implication, Ojimaojo revealed that the direct labour cost of the project is estimated at N12.7 millions.
He emphasised that the project is particularly important given Lokoja’s intense heat and heavy seasonal rainfall.
The NAKOSS president made a passionate appeal to the Kogi State Government and philanthropists and public-spirited individuals to support the initiative, describing it as a project that prioritizes student welfare and safety.
He maintained that the proposed pavilion was not a luxury project but a necessary intervention to protect students from health risks associated with prolonged exposure to harsh weather conditions.
Responding to the proposal during a visit by the NAKOSS leadership to The Graphic Newspaper, the Managing Director, Mr Yusuf Itopa, commended the student leadership for what he described as a thoughtful and life-saving initiative.
He used the opportunity to join NAKOSS in calling on the government and philanthropists to lend their support toward the successful execution of the pavilion.
The MD also assured the association of adequate publicity support to amplify the project’s objectives and attract the needed assistance.
