Obi tells FG to prioritise repairs over new road projects

Abdullateef Fowewe

NDC presidential president, Peter Obi, has urged the federal and state governments to halt the initiation of new road projects until Nigeria’s existing highways are fully rehabilitated.

Obi in a statement on Monday cited the Asaba–Benin Road as a “vital artery” left to decay.

“There is a pertinent reason I have consistently advocated that we should refrain from initiating new road construction projects until we have thoroughly rehabilitated and maintained our existing road network.

“Instead of undertaking new ventures and dualization projects that offer marginal benefits, our primary focus ought to be on repairing the critical roads already in place,” Obi said.

Obi warned that failure to prioritise maintenance has transformed major highways into bottlenecks that harm commuters and commerce.

He pointed to the Asaba–Benin Road used by travellers from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu, and parts of Benue and Kogi en route to Lagos — as a glaring example.

“Despite its significance, substantial sections of this road are in a lamentable condition. It has become a major impediment, precipitating persistent traffic congestion and inflicting undue hardship on travellers, businesses, and transport operators,” he said, adding that similar conditions prevail on many of the country’s busiest national highways.

Obi urged policymakers to focus on reconstruction and maintenance rather than announcing high-profile new projects he characterised as politically motivated and superficially beneficial.

“The Nigerian populace requires functional and motorable roads, not merely projects that garner public attention,” he said.

He called for transparent, outcome-driven infrastructure planning that prioritises existing road networks to ease travel, reduce operating costs for transporters, and support economic activity across the affected states.