Umahi orders emergency repairs on Benin-Asaba road, other critical federal highways

By Onu Okorie

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ordered the immediate deployment of major contractors to all three sections of the Benin-Asaba Federal Road to restore failed portions and ease the hardship faced by motorists and other road users.
The directive followed growing concerns over the deteriorating condition of the concessioned road, with the ministry saying the situation had reached a point where the overall public interest must take precedence over the existing concession agreement.
Umahi had visited the Benin-Asaba Road about a week ago and assembled contractors to prepare for emergency palliative works on the affected sections at no cost to the concessionaire. However, according to the ministry, the concession agreement required the Federal Government to obtain the concessionaire’s permission before intervening, and that permission was not granted.
The minister subsequently presented three options to the concessionaire to enable the Federal Government to intervene, but none was accepted.
The ministry said that after Umahi left Asaba, the already limited equipment deployed by the concessionaire was reduced further to just one unit, worsening the condition of the road.
Following the development, Umahi has now directed major contractors operating within the corridor to immediately commence emergency intervention on all three sections, with the Federal Government bearing the cost.
He has also ordered the immediate redesign of the entire route for reconstruction with reinforced concrete pavement.
The ministry said the measure would restore all failed sections of the road before the entire route is subsequently rehabilitated with the concrete pavement.
Other Roads Receive Emergency Attention
The Federal Government also announced intervention plans and ongoing works on several other critical roads across the country.
On the Benin-Sapele Road, the Edo and Delta state governments, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Federal Government are undertaking interventions on different sections. While palliative works are ongoing in some areas, permanent construction is also taking place on other sections.
On the Ifaki-Ekiti-Kabba Road, the government is engaging Gamji Nigeria Company Limited and Dangote Plc on emergency and permanent interventions on the worst sections, while efforts are underway to mobilise funding for more extensive work.
The Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road, involving the dualisation of approximately 350 kilometres, has been redesigned, with most sections being reconstructed using reinforced concrete pavement. The ministry said more than 50 kilometres of one carriageway from the Sokoto axis towards Zamfara had been completed, while some sections between Zamfara and Katsina had also been completed.
Contractors including CBC, Setraco, Triacta and Mothercat are being remobilised to complete outstanding works.
On the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the ministry said the Federal Government had completed the 118-kilometre Lot 1, largely using reinforced concrete pavement, while Lot 2, covering 164 kilometres, was more than 60 per cent completed.
Solar-powered lighting is also being installed along the entire Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route, with completion of the project scheduled for December 2026.
The ministry said Triacta Nigeria Limited had been mobilised to address failed sections of the Bauchi-Jigawa Road, with work already ongoing.
On the Sagamu-Ore Road, 48 kilometres of the 96-kilometre route have been completed with reinforced concrete pavement. The government has also ordered the immediate restoration of a 24-kilometre section around Ore abandoned by a previous contractor. Solar lights are being installed along the entire 96-kilometre corridor.
Flooded portions of the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Road and other affected sections in Ondo State are being designed for emergency procurement and intervention.
The ministry also disclosed plans for emergency intervention on failed sections and defective bridge portions along the East-West Road.
On the Abuja-Lokoja Road, several contracts are ongoing, while three critical sections without existing contracts are being procured for emergency intervention.
For the Lokoja-Benin-Warri Road, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a complete redesign and procurement of the approximately 400-kilometre dualised route covering the uncompleted sections. The route will be reconstructed with reinforced concrete pavement, while existing contractors continue palliative works.
Bridges Also Targeted
The government said weekly maintenance of the underwater elements of Carter Bridge is continuing, while the bridge site has been handed over to CCECC for construction of a permanent replacement bridge. Work has commenced, according to the ministry.
On the Third Mainland Bridge, the government said it was at the final stage of determining the appropriate intervention for defective underwater structural elements.
Work has also commenced on a flooded section of the Lagos-Ibadan Road, while the ministry said it was identifying and marking other flood-damaged sections of federal roads across the six geopolitical zones for immediate attention.
Intervention work is ongoing on the approach roads to the Second Niger Bridge, which were damaged by flooding.
The First Niger Bridge has been closed to traffic to allow immediate repair works, with the contractor already mobilised to site for comprehensive rehabilitation. Massive rehabilitation is also ongoing on the route from Summit Junction to the First Niger Bridge using reinforced concrete pavement.
FG Defends Road Infrastructure Programme
Umahi commended President Tinubu for what he described as the administration’s massive investment in the nation’s road infrastructure since assuming office in 2023.
According to the minister’s office, the administration inherited a road network in which motorists could hardly travel for an hour in many parts of the country without encountering significant challenges.
The ministry said the administration had made road infrastructure a priority and was currently working on more than 80 per cent of inherited federal roads.
It also highlighted the increased use of reinforced concrete pavement, saying the technology was expected to significantly extend the lifespan of major roads, with some roads designed to last between 50 and 100 years.
The ministry acknowledged public concerns over deteriorating roads and the difficulties faced by motorists and commuters, but appealed for patience, arguing that the scale of the inherited infrastructure problems made it impossible to resolve every accumulated challenge within three years.
“The government is working, the government is responding, and the government is putting permanent solutions in place,” the statement said.
The ministry also urged Nigerians who report failed roads and other infrastructure challenges to equally report when such problems have been addressed.
It expressed concern that photographs and reports of road failures sometimes continue to circulate on social media after intervention has already taken place.
The statement, signed by Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, was issued on September 8, 2026.
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