The Federal Government has launched emergency works on two of the country’s most troubled highway corridors following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ease days-long gridlock and hardship for commuters.
The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, announced on Tuesday that immediate remedial action had commenced on the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road in Ekiti and Kogi States, and on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road linking Edo and Delta States.
Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Umahi said President Tinubu, GCFR, directed the Ministry of Works to “urgently intervene and ensure that necessary corrective actions are taken to restore movement on the affected roads as quickly as possible.”
The Minister expressed concern over the “deplorable condition” of the roads, noting that motorists and commuters have spent hours and, in some cases, days stranded on the routes.
In line with the directive, Umahi said he had set machinery in motion for rapid response. He directed the Minister of State for Works to lead a team of ministry officials to the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti axis to assess damage and begin urgent remedial works. Officials were already on site as of 10 a.m. on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
At the same time, Umahi travelled to Benin, Edo State, with members of the National Assembly Committees on Works to coordinate intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba corridor. A stakeholder meeting is expected to bring together the Edo and Delta State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to agree on immediate solutions for the strategic route.
Umahi also took responsibility for the situation and apologised to road users affected by the delays. “The Federal Government’s response would go beyond temporary relief,” he said, adding that immediate measures are being pursued alongside plans for permanent rehabilitation to improve the long-term reliability of both roads.
The intervention comes amid growing public outcry over the state of federal roads in the South-South and South-West, with transporters and commuters calling for faster action ahead of the festive season.
