South-South Zone Faces Severe Federal Road Neglect

The South-South geopolitical zone, despite its significant hydrocarbon deposits and contributions to Nigeria’s foreign exchange, suffers from the worst network of federal roads in the country. For over 25 years, there has been no major federal road investment, except for the recently completed 40-km Bonny-Bodo Road awarded by the Buhari administration.

The last major construction was the Benin-Asaba expressway during the early Obasanjo administration, with Chief Tony Anenih serving as Minister of Works. Under President Goodluck Jonathan, Mike Onolememen, also from Edo State, held the same position from July 2011 until 2015, but little was done for federal roads in the region.

A recent incident highlighted the dire state of the roads, where travelers in Delta State were stranded for days due to poor conditions on the Benin-Asaba Road. Minister of Works David Umahi criticized the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company, led by Samuel Daramola, for incompetence and damaging public infrastructure by improperly managing road construction.