Peter Obi urges government to fix existing roads before starting new projects

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing federal highways instead of embarking on new road construction projects.

In a statement on Monday, Obi argued that repairing critical roads already serving millions of Nigerians would deliver greater economic and social benefits than initiating new projects or dualisation schemes with limited immediate impact.

“There is a pertinent reason I have consistently advocated that we should refrain from initiating new road construction projects until we have thoroughly rehabilitated and maintained our existing road network,” he said.

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Obi cited the Asaba–Benin Road as one of Nigeria’s most strategic highways, describing it as a major transport corridor linking Lagos with several states in the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central.

According to him, travellers from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Enugu and parts of Benue and Kogi depend on the road to access Lagos and other commercial centres.

Despite its strategic importance, Obi said large sections of the highway have deteriorated significantly, causing prolonged traffic congestion, delays and economic hardship for motorists, transport operators and businesses.

“This situation is not unique. It reflects the reality on many of our busiest national highways,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor maintained that government resources should first be directed towards reconstructing and maintaining existing roads before announcing new projects.

“The Nigerian people need functional and motorable roads, not merely projects that attract public attention.

“Efforts aimed at superficial improvements for political gain should not supersede the urgent need to address the condition of our existing, critical roadways,” he added.

Road infrastructure remains one of Nigeria’s biggest development challenges, with poor highway conditions contributing to travel delays, increased transport costs, vehicle damage and road crashes across the country.

According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria recorded 5,289 deaths in 10,446 road traffic crashes in 2025, while 5,421 people lost their lives in road crashes in 2024, with bad roads being the highest causative factor, as well as reckless driving, overspeeding, vehicle defects and overloading.

The economic impact of bad roads is also substantial, with a study on Nigeria’s road freight system estimating that poor road infrastructure costs the country about 7.8 billion dollars annually in freight disruptions, increased vehicle maintenance, fuel consumption and travel delays.

Nigeria’s apex bank also put annual direct losses from bad roads at more than ₦133 billion, but experts say it is likely to be significantly higher given inflation and increased transport activity.

Obi reiterated that investing in the rehabilitation of existing highways would improve mobility, reduce transportation costs, enhance road safety and support economic productivity.

“A new Nigeria is possible,” he said.