Federal Government's hands are tied on Benin-Onitsha Road due to 25-year contract agreement, According to Umahi

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has defended the Federal Government’s handling of the Benin-Onitsha road, saying the 125-kilometre corridor is under a 25-year concession that limits the government’s ability to terminate the agreement and award the project to another contractor.

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Umahi said the government was engaging the concessionaire to improve the pace of work on the road, while stressing that any intervention must comply with existing contractual and legal obligations.

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He clarified a statement signed by the Director, Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Mohammed Ahmed, in response to criticisms describing the Benin-Onitsha corridor as a “monument to neglect.”

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According to the minister, the condition of the road predates the President Bola Tinubu administration, which inherited thousands of kilometres of deteriorating federal roads and numerous stalled or underfunded projects.

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Umahi said, “The debate over the condition of the Benin–Onitsha corridor is legitimate. Nigerians have every right to demand good roads, safe journeys and value for public investment. But legitimate concern must not be distorted into a narrative that ignores history, contractual obligations, and the substantial road infrastructure intervention currently taking place across the South-East.

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“Government is bound by law. It is bound by contract, and it must observe due process. Also, it cannot arbitrarily terminate an existing concession agreement without considering the legal and financial consequences, including the possibility of litigation and humongous claims against the Federal Government.”

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The minister explained that the Benin-Asaba Expressway was incorporated into the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative as a Value-Added Concession.

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Under the arrangement, the concessionaire is responsible for the development and management of the road pavement and the entire right-of-way, making the situation more complicated than simply terminating an ordinary construction contract, he said.

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Umahi added, “The Federal Ministry of Works has also explained that under the Value-Added Concession model, the road pavement and the entire Right-of-Way are concessioned for development and management by the concessionaire. This diminishes the simplistic argument that the Minister of Works can simply wake up one morning, terminate the arrangement and award another contract. Government is bound by law. It is bound by contract, and it must observe due process. Also, it cannot arbitrarily terminate an existing concession agreement without considering the legal and financial consequences, including the possibility of litigation and humongous claims against the Federal Government.”

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He said the Ministry of Works had been pressing the concessionaire to meet its obligations, noting that the concession arrangement did not mean the FG had abandoned the road.

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The minister also rejected suggestions that the Tinubu administration had neglected infrastructure development in the South-East.

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He listed the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Onueke Highway and Flyover, Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway, Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Road, Afikpo-Okigwe Road, Aba-Owerri Road, Onitsha-Owerri Expressway, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road among major projects being executed or advanced in the region.

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He said the FG had also reopened a completed 15-kilometre section of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway in April 2026 after reconstruction works.

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Umahi argued that the Benin-Onitsha road should, therefore, be assessed alongside the wider infrastructure programme, rather than in isolation.

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“The argument, therefore, cannot reasonably be reduced to: ‘One road has a problem, therefore the government is doing nothing in the South-East.’ That is not a fair assessment of infrastructure policy and delivery,” he said.

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The minister acknowledged the difficulties faced by motorists, businesses and other road users, but maintained that the government was taking steps to address them within the limits of available resources and the law.

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Umahi also said the ministry had been confronting contractors and concessionaires whose performance was considered inadequate.

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“None of this means that road users should be told to endure a bad road indefinitely. The complaints of commuters are real. The pressure on businesses is real. The delays, vehicle damage and safety concerns are real,” he said.

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He noted that the administration inherited projects at different stages, including abandoned, stalled, underfunded and concessioned projects, as well as schemes affected by contractual disputes, and added that the ministry would continue to press concessionaires, enforce contractual obligations and deploy every lawful mechanism available to improve the condition of federal roads.

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