FG to toll completed road projects for sustainability — Umahi

The Federal Government has announced plans to toll critical road corridors for sustainability under the Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at promoting ease of doing business in Nigeria. This is to ensure that the newly constructed roads can last over 50 years.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this during a Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, where he addressed the state of roads nationwide.

He mentioned that key roads such as the Abuja-Kano Road, Port Harcourt Road, East-West Road, and four legacy projects — including the Lagos-Calabar, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Kebbi section, and others — will be tolled to ensure their sustainability.

According to him, tolling has become imperative because, although these roads are designed to last many years, continuous maintenance is critical to achieving the long-term vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said, “The vision of Mr. President’s administration is to create a $1 trillion economy. This involves reclaiming our country’s economic strength by promoting local content across all sectors.”

“The tolling of the Keffi to Makurdi road (251 kilometers northeast) has not been suspended; it is ongoing. What informed the decision to toll roads? The construction of Keffi to Akwanga was done under the China Harbour Project, and as part of the agreement, it will be tolled upon completion.”

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“Just like the four legacy projects, the completed sections are being tolled because both carriageways are ready.”

He further explained that the focus is not just on building new roads but also on maintaining them properly. “In the past, we built roads, but unfortunately, they didn’t last up to 50 years. As they were being built, they started failing. This has placed a huge burden on FEMA and the Ministry of Works.”

Umahi said the challenge will be tackled using a two-pronged approach. “We have 35,000 kilometers of roads nationwide. With the new legacy projects, we are looking at over 38,000 kilometers. It is unrealistic to rely solely on Nigeria’s budgetary provisions to fund and maintain all these roads.”

“This is why we are adopting the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The goal is not only to construct these roads but also to ensure their maintenance. By the first week of June, we will embark on stakeholders’ engagement to seek public support for tolling once the roads are completed.”

He cited the Abuja-Kano Road as an example. “A sizable section has been completed, but if we ignore it until the entire stretch is done, the completed parts will deteriorate.”

“The same applies to the Port Harcourt Road and East-West Road. Tolling ensures not just private sector participation, as seen in developed countries, but also proper operation and maintenance.”

Umahi concluded by highlighting the broader impact: “Our GDP is improving, foreign reserves are increasing, and food prices are gradually coming down. These are some of the benefits of the road infrastructure projects already completed.”