Highlighting the root cause behind the substandard roads in Nigeria, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, has emphasized that the deterioration of both major and minor road networks stems from insufficient funding allocated for their maintenance in budgetary allocations.
During a seminar titled ‘Road Infrastructure: Plans and Priorities of FERMA viz-a-viz the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda,’ held in Abuja at the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, BPSR, the Managing Director of FERMA, Chukwuma Agbasi, brought this issue to light.
Addressing the audience, he remarked, “The myriad of causes for the failure of road networks in Nigeria includes the neglect of allocating resources for their maintenance. Ignoring the upkeep of roads inevitably leads to their deterioration.”
Agbasi also warned about the substantial challenge posed by the backlog of maintenance tasks, which is significantly impacting the overall condition of roads across the country.
He emphasized the critical need to tackle the aging road surfaces nationwide to prevent further decay, citing unpredictable weather patterns, worsened by climate change, as factors contributing to unforeseen road damages.
In addition, he mentioned that improper utilization of road infrastructure, like indiscriminate waste dumping, unregulated parking, and petroleum products spills, accelerates the wear and tear of roads.
Furthermore, Agbasi noted that vehicles exceeding the prescribed weight limit of 11 tonnes in Nigeria exert excessive stress on the roads. He stated that initiatives were in progress to bolster the operational funding of the agency and foster partnerships with international road agencies.