President Bola Tinubu has ordered urgent action to tackle the worsening condition of major highways in Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Kogi States, following growing concerns over stranded motorists and prolonged travel delays.
The directive covers the Benin-Onitsha corridor and the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti route, two important highways currently facing serious challenges that have disrupted movement and caused significant hardship for commuters.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed the development on Tuesday through his spokesperson, Francis Nwaze, saying the president is particularly concerned about reports of travellers spending several hours and, in some cases, days on the affected roads.
Tinubu consequently directed the Federal Ministry of Works to take immediate steps to restore movement and address the deteriorating sections of the highways.
Umahi responded by assigning the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, to lead a team of ministry officials to the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti axis.
The team is already carrying out an assessment of the route by 10am on Tuesday, with emergency remedial work expected to commence as part of efforts to ease the situation.
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Meanwhile, Umahi travelled to Benin, Edo State, alongside members of the National Assembly joint Committee on works to coordinate a separate intervention on the Benin-Onitsha corridor.
The Benin engagement is expected to include officials of the Edo and Delta State governments and representatives of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The stakeholders are expected to examine the immediate causes of the road crisis and work out measures capable of restoring traffic flow along the strategic route.
The Benin-Agbor stretch of the Lagos-Benin Expressway has recently witnessed severe congestion, with motorists reportedly spending unusually long periods on the road amid the deteriorating condition of parts of the route.
Umahi expressed regret over the hardship experienced by commuters and apologised to motorists who have been delayed or stranded.
He said the federal government is pursuing both emergency measures and lasting rehabilitation, stressing that the intervention was not intended to provide only temporary relief.
The minister said the ultimate objective was to restore the affected roads, improve their reliability and prevent motorists from being subjected to prolonged gridlock in the future.
