The Senate has ordered the emergency rehabilitation of 74 critical federal highways across the country and called for increased funding for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to tackle the worsening state of Nigeria’s road network.
The resolution followed the adoption of the report of the Joint Senate Committees on FERMA and National Security and Intelligence on the deplorable Onyagede-Ogobia Road off the Otukpo-Oweto Highway in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
Presenting the report on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Abubakar Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), said only two kilometres of the 28-kilometre road remain motorable due to years of neglect, erosion and poor drainage.
He warned that the collapsed road had crippled economic activities, restricted access to healthcare and education and posed serious security challenges for residents.
The committee recommended immediate emergency rehabilitation of the road pending full reconstruction estimated at N15.06 billion, alongside urgent drainage improvements, erosion control measures and enhanced security along the corridor.
In one of its strongest interventions on the nation’s deteriorating road infrastructure, the Senate also approved the rehabilitation of two critical federal roads in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, bringing the total number of roads marked for urgent intervention to 74.
The development sparked widespread concern among lawmakers, with senators from Kogi, Lagos and Bayelsa States calling for similar interventions on failed federal roads in their constituencies.
Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South), urged lawmakers to focus on the committee’s report and advised senators with similar road challenges to present separate motions for consideration.
Contributing to the debate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) criticised the construction of new roads while existing federal highways continue to deteriorate.
He urged the Federal Ministry of Works to prioritise the rehabilitation of strategic highways such as the Benin-Asaba, Benin-Warri and Auchi-Abuja roads, warning that their poor condition threatens economic activities, national security and the movement of goods and agricultural produce.
At the end of deliberations, the Senate adopted all the committee’s recommendations, including increased budgetary allocation to FERMA and regular legislative oversight to ensure effective road maintenance across the country.
The lawmakers also commended President Bola Tinubu for ongoing landmark infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto Highway, describing them as transformational projects for national development.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed that copies of the report be forwarded to the relevant ministries, FERMA and the National Assembly appropriation committees for implementation and budgetary consideration.
