The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said that only private sector participation can sustainably fund and maintain Nigeria’s vast road network — insisting that tolling, despite public concern, is a necessary tool for infrastructure development and long-term safety.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday during a tour of South-West road projects, Umahi addressed questions about the seeming contradiction between the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidy to fund infrastructure and the decision to toll newly constructed roads.

“Whether these roads are tolled or not, they need constant maintenance,” Umahi said. “Only the private sector participation can truly maintain our roads.”

Acknowledging public scepticism, especially in light of economic hardship, Umahi argued that Nigerians are not against paying for infrastructure — so long as it is safe, reliable, and worth the cost.

“Nigerians are not against doing the correct thing and them having to pay a token,” he said. “What they are interested in, is to do the right thing. If they have to pay, let them have value for money. So they would like to go on a road like the coastal highway that is properly maintained and then pay a token than going through valleys and hills, that their tires are destroyed, they pay more for this thing and then they are exposed to insecurity due to bad roads.”

Umahi’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions about tolling parts of the newly constructed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other ongoing projects. He insisted that without private investment and tolling, the roads would quickly fall into disrepair, adding further burden to public finances already stretched by over 2,600 inherited road projects worth more than ₦24 trillion.

“We inherited 2,604 projects totaling 13 trillion (naira) as at 2023 and when we did rule of the thumb, we saw that this total project should be over 24 trillion now (naira). So roads and bridges are not the only decay we have in this country. I think the president is trying very very hard. The roads and bridges, the infrastructure, are the real sectors that grow the GDP of the rest of the sectors.”

The Minister also highlighted the scope of infrastructure being built — not just roads, but intelligent security systems including solar lighting, CCTV surveillance, and emergency response infrastructure.

“What we are doing in line with the HDMI policy by the federal minister of works is that we are not only building this road and putting solar lights, we are also putting CCTV and then we will take the security off our roads and they will stay within the observation centers and have 10 minutes response time just like what we did in Third Mainland bridge.

“If you are excavating sand many kilometers away, they will stay at the observation room and they will track you and we have boats to go on the sea and we have vehicles for those who want to commit suicide on the top of Third Mainland bridge. We will not allow that to happen because we have a 10 minute response time. By the time the person is climbing the rail, we have already spotted the person.”

Umahi reiterated that modern roads are more than just physical infrastructure — they are key to unlocking economic growth and improving Nigeria’s GDP across regions.

Melissa Enoch

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