Road or Air Travel: Nigerian Commuters Face Narrowing Choices

For many Nigerians, road travel has become more than an inconvenience. It can mean an economic burden, a security risk and, increasingly, a matter of life and death.

The worsening condition of roads across the country has driven some travelers toward air travel. But airfares have become so high that many commuters cannot afford plane tickets, leaving them trapped between unsafe highways and unaffordable flights.

The Benin, Asaba and Lagos, Ore highways illustrate the problem. Journeys that should take seven or eight hours can last more than 72 hours because of the condition of the roads. Traffic slowed by damaged routes also creates opportunities for criminals, including kidnappers, to target stranded or delayed road users.

The article argues that the crisis goes beyond potholes and congestion. The Lagos, Ore, Benin, Benin, Asaba and Bida, Lambata, Dikko, Kaduna corridors support workers, farmers, students, patients, traders, businesses and families. When a major highway fails, the economic and social networks that depend on it suffer as well.

It also raises questions about accountability. Nigeria’s constitution identifies the security and welfare of the people as the government’s primary purpose, yet the state of the road network threatens both. The article asks whether the federal or state governments bear responsibility for fixing the roads and who should answer for the consequences.