The synergy between the Nigerian Government and the Construction Industry was reinstated at the 61st Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI). The program which herald in the new executive members of FOCI, was used as a platform to execute the Corporate Social Responsibility of the Association by presenting 14 students of 7 Federal Universities drawn from the 6 Geopolitical Zone and Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria with ₦250,000.00 Scholarship Award each.
The outgoing president of the Association, Bldr. Solomon Ogunbusola JP, FNIOB, enumerated some of the programs planned to direct the efforts of member companies to bailing out the Nation from its current recession to wealth creation. Some of which are;
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
The Association would in no distance future partner with foreign facilitators and embassies in human capacity developments that would ensure more quality construction works, strict conformity with global standards and innovative project precisions. This would ensure the actualization of the National local content drive and thereby reducing capital flight.
Apart from increasing the needed entrepreneurial drive that would birth an increased number of Small & Medium Scale Industries as well as government revenue, this singular stride would ensure maintenance of high quality services which member companies of the Association is peculiar with. FOCI therefore call on other personnel capacity building organizations like Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshidi, Industrial Training Fund and others to partner with her in realizing this high fist.
PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS
While presenting the Scholarship Awards to the identified students, the Director General of the association Mrs. Olubunmi Adekoje MNSE, reinstated that the Muritala Muhammed Scholarship Fund would ensure quality graduates are produced from the Construction related fields of study by creating a health competition among the students.
Some of the students displayed their natural talents by entertaining the audience with music and musical instruments at the Dinner/Award ceremony.
RECOVERY OF CONTRACT RECEIVABLES
The outgoing president noted that the present government has done a lot in paying some portion of the debts owed to member companies thus re-inflating the economy and reducing unemployment by reopening construction sites earlier abandoned due to lack of funds. This is evidenced in the rejuvenation of construction works on the Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan express way and other site of National interests.
THE FUTURE
The new Executive Team led by the president, Engr. Nasiru Dantata, pledged his commitment to the development of the Association and solicited for the cooperation of member companies in achieving his action plans by focusing on legacies built by the outgoing executives council and taking proactive steps in raising the standards in the industry to meet up with global standards while maintaining a robust relationship with the government of the day.

After the dinner, participants concluded that Construction Industry remains one of the viable vehicles through which the government of today can ride itself out of the recession biting hard our dear Nation.