The Federal Government has announced plans to review concession agreements covering major roads across Nigeria following concerns over the deteriorating condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the announcement on Tuesday during an inspection of the concessioned highway in Edo State, where he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the quality and progress of work being carried out by the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC).
Umahi accused the concessionaire of lacking the technical capacity required to execute the project, describing its performance as a major failure. He subsequently convened a meeting involving stakeholders at the Edo State Government House to address the situation.
The minister also promised that the government would engage another contractor to carry out immediate repairs and make the highway accessible to motorists.
The development follows reports of motorists being stranded for days after several portions of the highway became difficult to navigate.
The Benin-Asaba Expressway was concessioned to BAECC in 2025 under a plan to transform the route into a 10-lane highway. The concessionaire was expected to complete the project by September 2027 and operate toll facilities to recover its investment while maintaining the road for 25 years.
However, Umahi criticised the decision to remove existing asphalt from sections of the highway despite warnings against doing so, arguing that the action exposed the road to further deterioration.
While commending Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for intervening on federal roads across the state, Umahi apologised to motorists affected by the poor condition of the highway.
“He is not saying that this is a federal or state road. I apologise to commuters plying this road. The NDDC is willing to intervene. I am disappointed with the Concessionaire. I take full responsibility for their misdeed and destruction of public assets,” he said.
Umahi added, “The Ministry of Works does not allow removal of asphalt. We begged them not to remove it. The Concessionaire should have been arrested for destroying public property. This road was not like this when it was handed over. I am instructing the Ministry to arrest any Concessionaire that remove asphalt from existing roads.”
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The minister further questioned the technical capacity of the company, accusing it of taking on a project beyond its expertise.
“You have no knowledge of road construction. You don’t know what you are doing. You have no technical staff or competence,” Umahi said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had directed the ministry to take necessary steps to address the crisis, stressing that public interest could override contractual arrangements where necessary.
“The President has directed us to do whatever is possible to fix this road. The law is there; there is an overriding public interest,” he said.
Umahi also acknowledged that the government itself needed to improve the process of assessing companies before awarding them road concessions.
BAECC Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Daramola, however, attributed the slow progress of the project to heavy rainfall and the volume of traffic using the highway.
“We expanded the road. We have expanded to eight lanes. We did palliative work for some months. We are wrestling with the weather as we try to keep to the scope of work,” Daramola said.
He explained that the company had struggled to construct drainage infrastructure because of the continuous movement of heavy vehicles along the route.
“How do we start with drains when there is heavy traffic? We have tried to engage all parties and communities. We are determined to ensure we complete this road. We have a reputation to maintain,” he added.
The project consultant, Engineer Toyin Akinlapa, also criticised the concessionaire, saying it failed to follow technical instructions issued by the project consultants.
“The Concessionaire did not heed our instructions. We told them to do the drains first, but they ignored us, and that affected the road. The company had some challenges in their technical team,” he said.
Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, called on President Tinubu to review the agreement with BAECC and other road concessionaires.
“We should review all such contracts. We cannot afford Concessionaires who can be giving us issues. The people want to see good roads. There must be palliative measures. Let us come up with a solution where people can move,” Alabi said.
Senator Allwell Onyesoh also condemned the condition of the Benin-Asaba Expressway, describing the situation as despicable.
Governor Okpebholo, meanwhile, commended the President for responding to the concerns surrounding the highway and said the intervention demonstrated that the administration was concerned about the welfare of motorists and residents.
He also urged residents to disregard what he described as opposition narratives circulating on social media.