FG Rejects Benin–Onitsha Road Neglect Claims, Cites Concession Agreement

FG Rejects Benin–Onitsha Road Neglect Claims, Cites Concession Agreement

 By Nafisat Bello

The Federal Government has rejected claims that it has neglected the Benin–Onitsha road, saying the condition of the highway must be viewed in the context of inherited infrastructure deficits and an existing concession agreement governing the corridor.

The Federal Ministry of Works, in a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed A. Ahmed, on Sunday, said while concerns over the condition of the road were legitimate, describing it as a product of the current administration’s neglect ignored its contractual status and ongoing infrastructure interventions across the South-East.

The statement was issued in response to criticism contained in an article titled, “The Benin–Onitsha Road: A Monument to Neglect and the Insensitivity of Power.”

The ministry said the Tinubu administration inherited thousands of kilometres of deteriorating federal roads and bridges after decades of accumulated infrastructure deficits, stressing that the Benin–Onitsha corridor was already in poor condition before President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

According to the ministry, it would be unrealistic to expect every inherited federal road to be completely reconstructed within three years of a new administration, particularly where existing contracts, concession agreements, funding limitations and procurement laws are involved.

A major issue highlighted by the ministry is the contractual status of the Benin–Asaba section of the corridor.

It explained that the 125-kilometre Benin–Asaba Expressway was incorporated into the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) as a Value-Added Concession, under which the road and its right-of-way are concessioned for development and management by a private concessionaire.

The ministry said the arrangement means the government cannot simply terminate the concession and award a new contract without considering the legal and financial implications, including the risk of litigation and substantial claims against the Federal Government.

“Government is bound by law. It is bound by contract. And it must observe due process,” the statement said.

It added that the Ministry of Works had been engaging the concessionaire over the pace of work and demanding improved performance, stressing that the existence of a concession agreement did not amount to government abandonment of the road.

The ministry further disclosed that the Federal Government began reviewing inherited highway concession agreements in 2025 to address concerns relating to transparency, accountability, performance and value for money.

It also rejected the suggestion that the Tinubu administration had done little for the South-East, listing several major road projects being executed or advanced across the region.

Among them are the Enugu–Akwa-Onitsha Expressway, Onueke Highway and Flyover, Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway, Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Road, Afikpo–Okigwe Road, access roads linking the Second Niger Bridge to Asaba and Onitsha, Aba–Owerri Road, Onitsha–Owerri Expressway, Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway and Aba–Ikot Ekpene Road.

The ministry also cited ongoing reconstruction of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, noting that an initial 15-kilometre completed section was reopened in April 2026.

It said the government had also demonstrated its willingness to confront underperforming contractors and concessionaires, noting that Works Minister, Senator Dave Umahi, had in June warned contractors who failed to meet their contractual obligations and expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work on major highways.

The ministry, however, acknowledged the difficulties faced by motorists and businesses using the Benin–Onitsha corridor, including delays, vehicle damage and safety concerns.

It said such concerns remained valid and warranted continued pressure on the concessionaire to fulfil its obligations.

“The Minister’s hands may be constrained by existing legal arrangements, but that does not mean the Ministry is indifferent,” the statement said, adding that there was a difference between being unable to lawfully terminate a contract and being unwilling to act.

The ministry further argued that infrastructure development must be assessed within the broader context of Nigeria’s financing and procurement challenges, noting that the government cannot reconstruct every federal road simultaneously.

It cited the Abuja–Lokoja project as an example, saying the scope of one section had been reduced from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres to concentrate available resources on the most critical portions of the alignment.

While acknowledging that the Benin–Onitsha corridor requires urgent attention, the ministry urged critics to consider both the challenges that remain and the progress being recorded on other major infrastructure projects.

It maintained that the South-East, like other parts of the country, deserves good roads and economic infrastructure, but rejected suggestions that infrastructure projects were being allocated based on political affiliation.

The ministry said the Benin–Onitsha road should not become a political weapon but rather a case study in the need for sustainable infrastructure financing, effective contract management and maintenance of Nigeria’s road network.

It reiterated that the Federal Government would continue to engage the concessionaire, enforce contractual obligations and use every lawful means available to secure improved performance on the corridor.

The statement concluded that the road deserved urgent attention, but said the public debate should also reflect who inherited the infrastructure deficit, who bears the contractual responsibility and what the current administration is doing to address the problem.