The Federal Government has been urged to prioritize the rehabilitation of deteriorating roads nationwide.
This was the resolution of lawmakers in the Senate following a motion by Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) titled, “Federal Government’s Approval of N4.2 Trillion for Construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and Other Road Projects nationwide.”
Senator Goje expressed concerns over the allocation of funds, stating that out of the N4.2 trillion approved for road projects, only N19 billion was earmarked for the North-East
He urged the Executive arm of government to extend the Renewed Hope Super Highway Road Project to the North-East zone to ensure the region’s full participation in national economic activities.
The Senator noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the funds on February 3 for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and other road rehabilitation projects.
He pointed out that only two road projects in the North-East were included: the Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road in Adamawa State (N11.81 billion) and the Lamido Road in Taraba State (N7.68 billion).
Goje further highlighted at least 12 other critical road networks in the North-East requiring urgent attention, including:
• Bauchi-Gombe Road
• Biu-Gombe Road
• Potiskum-Gombe Road
• Darazo-Gombe Road
• Numan-Jalingo Road
• Yola-Mubi Road
• Yola-Michika-Madagali-Gwoza-Bama Road
• Ngorore-Mayo Belwa-Zing-Jalingo Road
• Mayo Belwa-Jada-Ganye Road
• Biu-Gombi-Maranraba Road
• Biu-Damboa-Maiduguri Road
• Biu-Damaturu Road
While commending President Bola Tinubu for the Super Highway projects, Goje insists that the North-East must be included in the initiative to ensure balanced national development.
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Ogun West), clarified that the N4.2 trillion allocation was not based on geopolitical zones.
He explained that the funds were designated for the Badagry-Sokoto and Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road projects.
However, he assured that President Tinubu had set aside an additional N500 billion for road rehabilitation nationwide, ensuring no region is excluded.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the need for a comprehensive national strategy for road maintenance and rehabilitation.
He stated that without a sustainable plan, the issue of bad roads in Nigeria would persist.
Akpabio also noted that if previous administrations had taken proactive measures, the current state of the country’s road infrastructure would not be dire.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
