The Federal Government has defended its handling of the Benin–Onitsha road, saying the deteriorating condition of the major highway predates the present administration and that government is constrained by an existing concession agreement governing the 125-kilometre Benin–Asaba Expressway.
The Federal Ministry of Works, in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Mohammed A. Ahmed, said criticisms of the road were legitimate but should be balanced with the history of the project, contractual obligations and the Federal Government's broader infrastructure interventions across the South-East.
The statement was signed by Mohammed A. Ahmed, Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Works.
The ministry was responding to an article titled “The Benin–Onitsha Road: A Monument to Neglect and the Insensitivity of Power,” which criticised the condition of the corridor and questioned the commitment of the Federal Government to road infrastructure in the region.
According to the ministry, it was inaccurate to suggest that the current state of the Benin–Onitsha road was created by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the government inherited a large network of deteriorating federal roads and bridges across the country.
It said the Federal Government inherited 2,064 Federal road and bridge projects at various stages of execution, including abandoned, stalled, underfunded and concessioned projects.
The ministry further explained that the Benin–Asaba Expressway, which forms a major part of the corridor, was incorporated into the Federal Government's Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) as a Value-Added Concession.
Under the arrangement, the 125-kilometre road is subject to a 25-year concession, with the concessionaire responsible for development and management of the road.
The ministry said the arrangement limits the ability of the government to simply terminate the concession and award the road to another contractor without considering the legal and financial consequences.
“Government is bound by law. It is bound by contract. And it must observe due process,” the statement said, adding that arbitrary termination could expose the Federal Government to litigation and substantial financial claims.
The ministry, however, stressed that the concession arrangement did not mean government had abandoned the road.
It said the Minister of Works, Senator David Nweze Umahi, had been engaging the concessionaire over the pace of work and demanding improved performance.
The ministry also disclosed that the Federal Government commenced a review of inherited highway concession agreements in 2025 to address concerns relating to transparency, accountability, performance and value for money.
While defending the administration's record, the ministry listed several major road projects either being executed or advanced across the South-East.
They include the Enugu–Akwa-Onitsha Expressway; Onueke Highway and Flyover; Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway; Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Road; Afikpo–Okigwe Road; access roads linking the Second Niger Bridge between Asaba and Onitsha; Aba–Owerri Road; Onitsha–Owerri Expressway; Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway; and Aba–Ikot Ekpene Road.
The ministry also pointed to the reconstruction of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, including concrete pavement works, noting that an initial 15-kilometre completed section was reopened in April 2026.
It said the projects demonstrated that the South-East was part of the Federal Government's broader infrastructure programme under President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
The ministry further cited the Minister's recent warnings to non-performing contractors and said Umahi had repeatedly demanded that contractors fulfil their contractual obligations.
According to the statement, the Federal Government's challenge is not simply to terminate contracts but to use lawful mechanisms to enforce existing contractual obligations and ensure that concessionaires deliver.
The ministry also acknowledged the difficulties faced by motorists using the Benin–Onitsha corridor, including delays, vehicle damage, business disruption and safety concerns.
It said these challenges reinforced the need for the ministry to continue pressing the concessionaire to improve the road.
The statement also argued that Nigeria's infrastructure deficit could not realistically be eliminated by reconstructing every inherited road within three years of a new administration assuming office.
It noted that President Tinubu inherited projects at different stages and that the government had to contend with funding constraints, contractual disputes, concession arrangements and other procurement issues.
As an example of the funding challenges facing the ministry, it disclosed that the scope of one section of the Abuja–Lokoja project was reduced from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres so that available resources could be concentrated on the most critical sections.
The ministry maintained that criticism of government infrastructure policy was necessary in a democracy but cautioned against presenting isolated road failures as evidence that the Federal Government was doing nothing in the South-East.
It said a balanced assessment should recognise both the challenges that remain and the infrastructure projects currently being delivered.
The ministry stressed that the Benin–Onitsha corridor remained important and that the government would continue to demand performance from the concessionaire while operating within the law.
It added that the road should not be turned into a political weapon, but rather used as a case study in the need for sustainable infrastructure financing, maintenance and effective contract management.
The statement concluded that the Benin–Onitsha road “deserves fixing,” but insisted that public debate should also recognise who inherited the problem, the contractual responsibilities attached to the project and the steps being taken by the present administration to secure improvement.