Oshiomhole Tells Umahi to Prioritise Fixing Nigeria’s Bad Roads Before Approving New Projects

ABUJA, Nigeria — Senator Adams Oshiomhole has urged the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to focus on repairing Nigeria’s deteriorating federal highways before embarking on the construction of new roads across the country.

Speaking during a Senate session on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the former Edo State governor expressed concern over the poor condition of several critical highways linking Edo State to neighbouring states, despite the Federal Government’s approval of about 20 new road projects.

Oshiomhole questioned the decision to initiate additional infrastructure projects when major highways, including the Benin-Warri Road, Benin-Asaba Road, and the Okene-Benin Road, remain in deplorable condition, causing hardship for commuters, businesses, and transport operators.

According to the senator, large sections of the roads connecting Edo and Delta states had been neglected for years and were omitted from successive national budgets for nearly three years.

He revealed that it took the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through a tax credit funding arrangement before work eventually resumed on some of the affected highways.

“We cannot continue approving new roads while existing federal roads that serve millions of Nigerians have become death traps,” Oshiomhole argued during the debate, stressing that road maintenance should be given greater priority.

The senator called on the Ministry of Works to adopt a balanced infrastructure strategy that ensures ongoing projects and critical federal highways are completed before launching numerous new construction initiatives.

His remarks echoed concerns raised by several lawmakers during Senate deliberations, with members urging the Federal Government to increase funding for the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing roads across the country.

Many senators argued that fixing strategic highways would have a more immediate impact on economic activities, reduce travel time, improve safety, and lower transportation costs for Nigerians.

The debate comes as the Federal Government continues to expand investments in road infrastructure as part of its nationwide economic development agenda.

However, lawmakers insisted that preserving existing road networks should remain a priority alongside the construction of new projects to ensure efficient use of public resources.

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