ABUJA / BENIN CITY — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Federal Ministry of Works to immediately deploy emergency response teams to resolve severe gridlocks along the deteriorating Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway and the Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti highway.
The presidential directive follows weeks of mounting public outcry as motorists, heavy haulage trucks, and interstate commuters experienced delays lasting hours—and in several instances, up to three days—due to severe road failure along critical commercial arteries in Edo, Delta, Ekiti, and Kogi states.
Federal Ministry of Works Action Plan
Minister of Works David Umahi confirmed the presidential order during an emergency on-the-scene inspection tour in Benin City on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, alongside members of the National Assembly Committees on Works.
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Benin-Agbor-Asaba Redesign: Rejecting temporary asphalt palliatives, Umahi declared that President Tinubu has authorized a complete redesign of the Benin-Asaba corridor and surrounding Edo/Kogi transit routes using durable concrete pavement.
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Concessionaire Query: During an on-site evaluation, the Minister criticized the concession company handling the project, questioning its technical capacity over slow progress that contributed to the traffic congestion.
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Ekiti-Kogi Emergency Deployment: Minister of State for Works Bello Goronyo was dispatched to lead a specialized technical team to the Ifaki-Oye-Kabba and Efon-Iwaraja corridors to evaluate structural failures and start immediate remedial works.
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Multi-Agency Collaboration: The Ministry convened an emergency meeting involving representatives of the Edo and Delta State Governments, alongside the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to coordinate immediate traffic management and road clearing operations.
“President Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Works to urgently intervene and restore movement on the affected roads as quickly as possible. We apologize to commuters who have been stranded… We need total reconstruction of this road with concrete pavement, not mere palliatives.”
— Senator David Umahi, Minister of Works
