As Federal Roads in South-South Get Worse…

Federal roads in South-South Nigeria have deteriorated significantly, despite the region's significant contributions to the Federation Account and foreign exchange earnings. The six states in the South-South zone have the worst network of federal roads in the country, with no major investment in infrastructure for over 25 years.

The last federal highway constructed in the region was during the Obasanjo administration, and under President Goodluck Jonathan, little to no progress was made in terms of federal roads in the South-South. The recent Bonny-Bodo highway is an exception, having been completed recently. A video of travelers clearing bush paths to navigate a traffic jam on the Benin-Asaba road highlighted the severity of the situation, with people stranded for days and praying for relief.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, blamed the concessionaire responsible for the poor condition of the road, accusing them of lacking technical expertise and manipulating the process to secure the contract. Umahi promised to take action against any future concessionaires found removing asphalt from federal roads without authorization.

The Federal Government has committed to intervening urgently and bringing in competent contractors, including the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, to carry out emergency repairs and improve the road's condition in the short term. However, the Benin-Asaba Highway is not an isolated case of a major road failure in the South-South region.

Other roads, such as Benin-Sapele, Benin-Warri, Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu, Ikot Ekpene-Umuahia, and Calabar-Itu-Uyo, are also in terrible states. Senator Adams Oshiomhole has accused Umahi of regional bias and neglect of federal roads in Edo and Delta States, criticizing his focus on the Lagos-Calabar coastal road and his failure to build rail networks in the South-South and South East.