The Federal Government has ordered a review of concession agreements covering major roads across Nigeria following the worsening condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway, where motorists and commuters have endured days of severe gridlock and hardship.
Minister of Works David Umahi gave the directive after conducting an on-the-spot inspection of the troubled highway and expressing strong dissatisfaction with the performance of the concessionaire handling the project.
Umahi specifically criticised the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company for what he described as a lack of technical competence required to properly execute the major road project.
The minister was particularly angered by the removal of existing asphalt on sections of the highway despite warnings from the Ministry of Works, saying the action contributed significantly to the deterioration of the road.
He stated that the road was not in its current condition when it was handed over to the concessionaire and suggested that the company could have faced arrest for allegedly destroying public property.
The Federal Government has consequently indicated that it will not hesitate to take action against concessionaires whose activities place public infrastructure and road users at risk.
Umahi said competent contractors would be engaged to carry out emergency repairs and restore the affected sections of the highway to a motorable condition while stakeholders meet to determine the future of the concession arrangement.
He also apologised to motorists and commuters who have been stranded on the route, saying President Bola Tinubu had directed the Ministry of Works to do everything possible to resolve the crisis.
The minister further disclosed that the Federal Government was reviewing the process through which road concessions were awarded across the country, stressing that the technical competence of concessionaires must be properly established before contracts are granted.
The Benin-Asaba Expressway was concessioned to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company in 2025 for reconstruction and expansion into a 10-lane highway.
The project was scheduled for completion in September 2027, with the concessionaire expected to recover its investment through tolling while maintaining the road for 25 years.
However, the condition of the road has deteriorated significantly, leaving motorists trapped in prolonged traffic and generating widespread public anger over the handling of the project.
The Chief Executive Officer of the concession company, Samuel Daramola, attributed some of the difficulties to persistent rainfall and the heavy volume of traffic using the highway.
Daramola said the company had expanded some sections to eight lanes and undertaken palliative works but faced difficulties constructing side drains because vehicles continued moving through the work areas.
He explained that some sections that had already been completed had to be reopened before they were fully cured in an attempt to ease traffic, forcing the company to repeat portions of the work.
The project consultant’s representative, Engineer Toyin Akinlapa, however, offered a different explanation and alleged that the concessionaire failed to follow professional advice concerning drainage construction.
Akinlapa said the company had been advised to construct the drainage facilities before proceeding with other aspects of the road project but allegedly ignored the recommendation.
The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, backed calls for a review of the concession agreement and said Nigerians should not be subjected to hardship because of poorly managed concession arrangements.
Alabi also called for immediate palliative measures to restore movement along the highway while the broader issues surrounding the concession are addressed.
The crisis has also drawn concern from stakeholders in the South-South region, with the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum describing the condition of roads across the region as a serious crisis.
The Benin-Asaba corridor is particularly important because it connects major commercial centres and serves as a major route for the movement of passengers, goods and agricultural products across southern Nigeria.
The prolonged gridlock has therefore created consequences beyond the immediate inconvenience faced by commuters, with delays affecting transport operators, businesses and the movement of goods along the corridor.
President Tinubu had already directed urgent intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road following growing concerns over the suffering of motorists and commuters who had reportedly spent hours and, in some cases, days on the route.
The latest decision to review road concessions signals a broader attempt by the Federal Government to scrutinise the performance of private companies entrusted with major public infrastructure projects.
For motorists who have endured the worsening Benin-Asaba gridlock, however, the immediate priority remains the restoration of free movement and the repair of the damaged sections of the highway.
The Federal Government's promised emergency intervention and review of concession arrangements could determine whether the current crisis becomes a turning point for the project or another prolonged chapter in Nigeria's troubled road infrastructure history.