President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed James Akintola as the new Chairman of the Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), just a few days before his tenure ends. FERMA is a part of the Ministry of Works and Housing.
This appointment was announced in a statement by Femi Adesina, who is the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Buhari. The statement, titled ‘President Buhari approves governing board for FERMA,’ was released on Thursday.
According to the Presidency, Akintola is a skilled professional in the construction industry.
The statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dissolution and renewal of the Governing Board for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency.
“The new Chairman of the Board is Mr James Olugbenga Akintola. Mr Lemo conveys his appreciation to President Buhari for the opportunity given him to serve the country.”
He previously ran for the position of governor under the Alliance for Democracy in the 2018 Osun State elections and has held similar positions in various states.
Since July 2019, Akintola has been the General Manager of the Ogun State Public Works Agency. He also served as the Special Adviser on Infrastructure to the Oyo State Government from September 2016 to May 2019, and as the Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation from August 2009 to September 2015.
Akintola has worked as a consultant for the Kwara State Government as well. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Lagos and a Master of Science degree in the same field from the former University of Ife, now known as Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Additionally, Akintola attended the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.