Benin-Onitsha Road concessioned, not neglected, says Nigeria's Works Minister

Nigerian Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has strongly refuted allegations that the Federal Government has neglected the Benin-Onitsha Road. Umahi clarified that the 125-kilometer Benin-Asaba stretch of the road operates under a 25-year concession agreement, making its termination complex.

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How many times has he acknowledged the enormous number of Federal road projects being executed across the South-East under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Renaissance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

In a statement released by the ministry's Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed A. Ahmed, Umahi addressed an article titled “The Benin–Onitsha Road: A Monument to Neglect and the Insensitivity of Power.” He argued that criticisms should consider the project's history, contractual obligations, and the government's ongoing infrastructure initiatives in the South-East.

Umahi questioned the premise that all federal roads should be fixed within three years of a new administration, regardless of inherited contracts, concession agreements, funding, and procurement laws. He pointed out that the current administration inherited 2,064 federal road and bridge projects in various states of disrepair, deeming it "intellectually dishonest" to attribute the current condition of the Benin-Onitsha Road solely to the Tinubu administration.

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Was the Benin–Onitsha Road in its present condition only after President Tinubu assumed office?

The minister elaborated that the Benin-Asaba section was concessioned under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) as a Value-Added Concession. He stressed that the government is legally bound by the contract and must adhere to due process, warning that arbitrary termination could lead to significant litigation and claims against the Federal Government.

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Must every road in Nigeria be fixed within three years of a new administration assuming office, regardless of inherited contracts, concession agreements, funding constraints and procurement laws?

Despite the concession, Umahi assured that the government has not abdicated its responsibility. He confirmed that the Ministry of Works is actively engaging with the concessionaire to improve the pace and quality of work. Furthermore, he mentioned that the Federal Government began reviewing inherited highway concession agreements in 2025 to enhance transparency and performance, while also highlighting several other federal road projects underway in the region.

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To present the present condition of the Benin–Onitsha Road as though it was created by the Tinubu administration is intellectually dishonest.