President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mandated a nationwide audit of federal highways and the establishment of a geo-referenced national road database to facilitate improved planning, maintenance, and the overall value of infrastructure delivery.
He emphasized that effective road management should be based on accurate and dependable data, noting that a responsive, reactive maintenance strategy is no longer tenable.
The President expressed these views through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, during the inauguration of the 2026 Roads Summit organized by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in Abuja.
Tinubu directed FERMA to enhance the frequency of road condition audits, safety evaluations, and assessments after road failures throughout the federal road network. He highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive inventory of roads that have either failed or are at risk of failing.
Moreover, the President stated that the proposed geo-referenced database should meticulously record the factors leading to road failures, such as design flaws, the quality of construction, weight excesses, drainage issues, climate influences, and lapses in maintenance.
“With reliable and current data, Nigeria can progressively transition from emergency repairs to planning for predictive and preventive maintenance,” he asserted.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, expressed concern about the misuse of Nigerian roads due to overloading, reckless driving, and unauthorized access.
FERMA’s Managing Director and CEO, Engr Dr. Emeka Agbasi, remarked on the crucial role of roads in stimulating economic growth by enabling the movement of agricultural products to markets, facilitating the transport of industrial goods to ports, and providing access to educational and healthcare services.
However, he pointed out that deteriorating infrastructure, accumulated maintenance backlogs, climate-related damages, financial limitations, and safety issues continue to impose significant economic burdens, resulting in increased vehicle operating costs, prolonged travel times, diminished competitiveness, and heightened risks to public safety.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!