University of Benin

Estate and Works Department

Welcome to the University of Benin Estate and Works

Overview of the Works and Estate Department

The Department oversees all maintenance-related issues in the University, including:

  • Maintenance of all University vehicles, control and dispatch of vehicles for approved journeys, and control of all drivers who are staff of the University.
  • Maintenance of all public buildings on both campuses of the University, liaison offices in Abuja and Lagos.
  • Construction of new and maintenance of roads together with associated works across both campuses.
  • All other Civil Engineering related maintenance works across both campuses.
  • Maintenance of all staff and student residential buildings on both campuses.
  • Furnishing of staff offices, lecture theatres, classrooms, and laboratories across both campuses of the University and the liaison offices.
  • Installation and maintenance of all electricity and associated infrastructures including vacuum breakers, transformers, ring main units (RMU), armoured cables, main circuit breakers (MCB), street lighting infrastructures, etc.
  • Installation, maintenance, and operation of all generators across both campuses.
  • Provision, installation, and maintenance of all water infrastructure namely boreholes and its accessories (submersible pumps, starter panels, risers, etc), pipes, valves, storage tanks, and associated accessories.
  • Taking and keeping of inventory records of all University assets.

Divisions and Units

The Works and Estate Department is made up of four Divisions and one Unit:

  • Civil/Building Division
  • Mechanical and Transport Division
  • Services Division
  • Estate and Property Division
  • Water Scheme Unit

A. Civil/Buildings Division

The Division has offices at both the Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses of the University. It is made up of five major sections/units:

  • Carpentry
  • Masonry
  • Plumbing
  • Painting
  • Labour Section

The staff strength of the Division is currently 67 personnel, comprising:

  • Engineers - 9
  • Technical Officer - 3
  • Builders - 4
  • Quantity Surveyor - 2
  • Artisans (skilled workers) - 42
  • Groundsmen (unskilled workers) - 1
  • Administrative staff - 6

Operational Scope:

  • Design and construction of small buildings and other civil structures.
  • Renovation and rehabilitation of both public and residential buildings.
  • Renovation and rehabilitation of student halls of residence.
  • Construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of existing roads, parks, and all road structures.
  • Furnishing of lecture halls, laboratories, and staff offices.
  • Other ad-hoc jobs as the need arises.

B. Services Division

The Services Division is responsible for the management of electrical facilities and electrical distribution networks in both Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses. It also handles the vending and maintenance of prepaid meters.

The Division operates on a 24-hour duty schedule, with three shifts: morning, afternoon, and night duty shifts. The duty schedule is carried out on weekends and public holidays as well.

The staff strength of the Services Division as of September 2024 is 137, with the following breakdown:

  • Engineers - 24
  • Technical Officers - 24
  • Workshop Supervisors - 63
  • Craftsmen - 24
  • Administrative staff - 2

Operational Scope:

  • Ensuring regular and steady power supply to both campuses of the University.
  • Maintenance of all electrical infrastructures like RMU, transformers, cables, circuit breakers, etc.
  • Maintenance and repair of all electrical defects in public, residential, and student hostels.
  • Operation, maintenance, and repair of all generators.
  • Installation, maintenance, and repair of all air-conditioners.
  • Procurement and distribution of diesel.
  • Sign writing.
  • Installation and maintenance of solar power systems.
  • Vending and billing of electricity consumers.

C. Mechanical and Transport Division

This Division has a total of 142 staff, with the following breakdown:

  • Engineers - 2
  • Admin Staff - 2
  • Technicians - 4
  • Mechanics - 10
  • Auto-Electrician - 2
  • Welders - 5
  • Vulcanizer - 1
  • Drivers - 103

Scope of Operation:

  • Maintenance of university vehicles and welding work.
  • Keeping a register of all university vehicles.
  • Providing vehicle support services to staff and students when needed.

The Division is subdivided into two sections: Mechanical and Transport Sections.

Mechanical Section:

  • Heavy Duty: Comprises mainly diesel engine mechanics, technicians, welders/panel beaters, and vulcanizers.
  • Light Duty: Comprises technicians, mechanics, and auto-electricians.

Transport Section:

  • Drivers
  • Key Porter

The University currently has 103 drivers, with 96 active drivers and 112 vehicles, of which 8 vehicles are without drivers.

D. Estate & Property Division

The Estate & Property Division has a total staff of 15, with the following breakdown:

  • Professional/Technical Staff - 10
  • Registry Staff - 4

Operational Scope:

  • Maintains records/occupancy of University Staff Quarters.
  • Maintains Assets Register/Inventory of the University.
  • Takes custody of retrieved unserviceable items.
  • Recycles some of the retrieved unserviceable items to other offices that need them and disposes of others as directed.
  • Regular updating of staff quarters rent deductions.
  • Serves on the Staff Housing Allocation Committee.
  • Carries out internal valuation of assets when needed.

E. Water Scheme Unit

The Water Scheme Unit operates on a 24-hour duty schedule across Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses. The duty schedule is divided into three shifts: morning, afternoon, and night shifts, including weekends and public holidays. The staff strength as of November 2024 is 33.

For smooth operation, the Unit is decentralized into sub-units:

  • Water Scheme Head of Office Pumping Station
  • Banquet Pumping Sub-station
  • Tetfund Pumping Station
  • Hall Two Pumping Station

Water Sources:

The University generates all the water consumed in Ugbowo and Ekehuan Campuses through various boreholes. The boreholes are of different capacities and are located across both campuses.

S/No. Borehole Location Capacity of Pump Discharge Status
1 Industrial Borehole No. 4 Water Scheme 75Hp 135 m³/h Functional
2 Industrial Borehole No. 5 Water Scheme 50Hp 90 m³/h Functional
3 Industrial Borehole No. 1 Water Scheme 40Hp 72 m³/h Functional
4 Industrial Borehole No. 2 Water Scheme 15Hp 27 m³/h Functional
5 Banquet Industrial Borehole Banquet Pumping Station 40Hp 72 m³/h Functional
6 Hall 2 Industrial Borehole Hall 2 Pumping Station 40Hp 72 m³/h Functional
7 Tetfund Hostel Industrial Borehole Tetfund Students Hostel 40Hp 72 m³/h Functional
8 Industrial Borehole No. 1 Estate Yard, Ekehuan Campus 25Hp 45 m³/h Functional
9 Industrial Borehole No. 2 T-junction, Ekehuan Campus 25Hp 45 m³/h Functional
10 63 Nos Hand Drill Boreholes Different Locations 1.5Hp each - Functional

The combined installed capacity of the industrial boreholes is about 15,120 m³ per day. Water is readily available, especially when there is constant power supply.

Distribution Network Data:

  • The distribution pipe network system is as shown in the attached pipeline distribution diagram.
  • Majority of the pipes are asbestos cement pipes, while some are PVC pipes. Due to the age of the asbestos cement pipes, leakages are frequent. There is a need to replace these old pipes with UPVC pipes for durability.
  • There are two industrial surface pumps used to boost water pressure for effective distribution across the campus.
  • Water supply is adequate when there is public power, but supply is hindered during power outages.

Storage Facilities:

Storage Reservoir Tank Location Capacity Remarks
Surface Steel Reservoir Tank Water Scheme 218 m³ Functional but requires rehabilitation
Elevated Steel Reservoir Tank Ekehuan Campus 263 m³ -
Elevated Steel Reservoir Tank Banquet Pumping Station 67.5 m³ -
Elevated Steel Reservoir Tank Hall 2 Pumping Station 67.5 m³ -
Elevated Steel Reservoir Tank Tetfund Student Hostel Pumping Station 67.5 m³ -
Elevated Concrete Reservoir Tank Water Scheme 1,125 m³ -
Surface Ground Concrete Reservoir Tank Water Scheme 2,270 m³ -
Elevated Steel Reservoir Tank NDDC Hostel 67.5 m³ -

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE OF ESTATE AND WORK DEPARTMENT

Estate and Works Department is involved in the rendering of services to the University community through approved job request, job card and sometimes, verbal directive.

Request Method:

In this method, job request is issued through the Director of Works office to the Divisions. On receipt of this request and depending on the nature of request, competent staff is assigned to treat the request. The staff visits the site accompanied by the person that made the request for a thorough assessment and scope the job to be carried out. Working drawing(s) and or Bill of Quantities/Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation are prepared. After review, the prepared documents are forwarded to the Vice chancellor through the Director of works.

On approval, a vendor is assigned to execute the job. The supervision is undertaken by a competent technical staff.

On completion, the vendor will notify the Division through the Director of Works office and a final inspection is carried out with a team from the Division and the person that requested the job who signs a certificate of job completion as end-user. The Division will then send a memo of job completion in addition with the end-user certificate to the Director of Works’ office.

Under this category is renovation/rehabilitation of public and residential buildings, halls of residence, furnishing of offices, road rehabilitation and other construction works.

Job Card method:

These are usually for smaller jobs which cut across minor repair works/job. The job card is filled in the Division’s office and then sends to the appropriate Sectional Head for assessment who then feedback the Head of Division with his findings after assessing the job.

Verbal Directive:

Verbal directive usually from a higher authority like the Director of Works and other Principal Officers of the University falls under the two methods stated above.

The plumbing section of the Division works co-operatively with water scheme section. We are responsible for all internal plumbing works and installations within the compound of a building while the main pipe water network of the university is the schedule of water scheme section of Estate Dept.

The Carpentry section of the Division is responsible for carpentry repair works – roofs, doors, windows, timber works and furniture with the building, offices, labs and classrooms.