The Director General of the Civil Society Campaign Council, Victory Assured Movement, Rt. Comrade Emmanuel Johnny, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to privatize federal road infrastructure through Public-Private Partnerships, PPP, to end construction delays and improve safety on highways.
In a statement titled _Project Nigeria First_, Comrade Johnny proposed that private companies be allowed to construct federal roads with their own resources and recover investments through toll fees over a defined concessionary period.
He said the model will ease the financial burden on the Federal Government, reduce dependence on borrowing for road construction, and ensure faster delivery of durable and smart road infrastructure.
“_Citizens are ready to pay toll fees on roads that are well constructed and safe. What Nigerians reject is bad roads, not tolls,_” he said.
Comrade Johnny expressed concern that most federal government road projects take 3 to 4 years to complete due to funding and bureaucratic delays. He cited the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway as “a death trap after years of wasted resources and slow construction.” He also referenced the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway, which he said has been under construction for years.
“_Had these roads been under PPP arrangement, road users would have been enjoying smart road infrastructure for their day-to-day activities by now,_” he added.
The Director General further called for the Calabar-Itu Highway and all other critical federal roads across the country to be considered for privatization under the concession model.
He urged the Federal Government to develop a transparent national road concession framework with proper regulation, affordability safeguards, and value for money for commuters.
