President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to take immediate steps to address the deteriorating conditions of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road and the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti highway.
The directive follows growing concerns over the worsening condition of the major routes, with motorists and commuters reportedly spending several hours and, in some cases, days navigating the affected sections.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Francis Nwaze.
Umahi said the President had ordered the ministry to urgently restore movement along the affected corridors and implement measures to ease the hardship faced by road users.
“President Tinubu, GCFR, has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene and ensure that necessary corrective actions are taken to restore movement on the affected roads as quickly as possible,” Umahi was quoted as saying.
Following the presidential directive, the minister ordered the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, to lead a team of ministry officials to the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti axis in Ekiti and Kogi states.
The team was already on the ground as of 10am on Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage and commence emergency remedial work.
Meanwhile, Umahi travelled to Benin, Edo State, alongside members of the National Assembly Works Committees to coordinate an intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road.
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The meeting is expected to involve officials from the Edo and Delta State governments, as well as representatives of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The stakeholders are expected to work out immediate measures to ease the gridlock and restore traffic flow along the strategic route.
The Benin-Agbor corridor has recently witnessed severe traffic congestion, with motorists and residents raising concerns over the impact of the road’s poor condition on movement and economic activities.
Umahi also apologised to commuters affected by the situation, acknowledging the difficulties caused by the deteriorating roads.
He assured Nigerians that the government’s intervention would not be limited to temporary measures, stressing that permanent solutions were also being pursued to improve the durability and reliability of the affected highways.
The Federal Government said the immediate priority was to restore free movement while simultaneously working towards lasting rehabilitation of the critical road corridors.
