Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road Crisis: Presidency Defends FG’s Response

The Presidency has described the recent deterioration of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway as an isolated incident, while blaming the contractor handling the project for the failure. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, made this known on Wednesday while reacting to the worsening condition of the highway and President Bola Tinubu’s directive for its redesign and total reconstruction. Dare said the condition of the road should not be taken as a reflection of the Federal Government’s performance on road infrastructure nationwide, arguing that several other federal road projects had either been completed or were progressing without similar problems. “I think that first, these are isolated cases. And we all know by the nature of road construction, during rainy season, you encounter problems like this,” he said. The presidential aide acknowledged that the government had a responsibility to identify roads requiring intervention and provide the necessary funding, but said contractors were equally responsible for delivering projects to the required standard. According to Dare, the contractor’s explanation for the failure of the road did not absolve the company of responsibility. “Whatever played out yesterday, we had all the stakeholders there. And it’s important that even the contractor came out, even though he gave excuses, it showed a failure on their part,” he said. His comments followed an inspection of the troubled highway by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who apologised to motorists and commuters over the condition of the road. During the inspection, Umahi took responsibility for the state of the federal highway and criticised the concessionaire handling the reconstruction. He subsequently directed moves towards a complete reconstruction of the affected road, concluding that palliative repairs would not provide a lasting solution. The intervention followed growing complaints from motorists and residents over the deteriorating condition of the route. PUNCH had reported that protesters recently took to the Benin-Agbor Bypass, calling for urgent government intervention as motorists struggled through muddy and congested sections of the road. When PUNCH visited the Benin axis of the highway on Tuesday, the road remained in poor condition, although the severe gridlock that had persisted for about two weeks had eased. Dare, however, pointed to the speed with which government officials responded to the crisis as evidence of the administration’s approach to infrastructure problems. He cited the presence of the Works Minister, National Assembly members and other stakeholders at the affected location, saying the government had moved quickly to demand corrective action. He also defended the pace of ongoing federal road projects, noting that large-scale highway construction was often carried out in sections and could temporarily inconvenience motorists. Using the Abuja-Lokoja corridor as an example, Dare said he recently travelled along the route with about 65 journalists and observed sections that had already been completed as well as areas where construction was still ongoing. He argued that road construction was a progressive process and that motorists might have to endure some temporary difficulties while projects were being executed. The Presidency says the Tinubu administration is currently overseeing major road projects across the country, including five legacy projects and about 320 roads nationwide. The scale of the programme is also reflected in the Federal Government’s 2026 budget plans. PUNCH reported earlier this month that N2.47tn had been earmarked for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of 124 critical roads, while broader 2026 budget proposals put federal road construction and rehabilitation spending at about N3.23tn. However, the condition of the Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor continues to raise concerns because of its importance as a major route connecting parts of the South-South and South-East. Beyond traffic delays, the deteriorating road has affected the movement of goods and passengers, damaged vehicles and increased transportation and business costs along the corridor. With the Federal Government now considering total reconstruction rather than further palliative work, motorists and residents will be looking to the authorities to ensure that the promised intervention translates into a durable solution rather than another temporary repair.