Motorists Lament as Benin–Asaba Road Collapses, FG Accused of Neglect

Story Written springnewsng August 19,2025

The worsening condition of the Benin–Asaba Expressway has plunged motorists into daily hardship, with accidents and gridlock becoming routine, even as the federal government remains silent.

The 125-kilometre federal highway is a vital corridor linking the South-West, South-South, and South-East. Yet, despite a flag-off ceremony on March 21, 2025, where Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo represented President Bola Tinubu to announce its reconstruction, no meaningful work has been done. Hopes once raised have since collapsed with the road itself.

Motorists and residents say the federal government’s excuse of inadequate funds is untenable, pointing to billions squandered on foreign trips and mega-projects. “The cost of just one presidential trip can fix this road,” said Johnson Chukwuma, a civil engineer from Onitsha.

Critics note that a fraction of the trillions earmarked for projects like the Lagos-Calabar Highway or the Third Mainland Bridge could rehabilitate the Benin–Asaba road. Yet, while those projects receive massive funding, commuters along this corridor are left battling gullies, ditches, and deadly accidents.

A viral video recently highlighted the plight: trucks stuck in flood-soaked craters, tankers carrying inflammable materials stranded, and vehicles with perishable goods rotting on the highway.

Traditional leaders have joined the call for urgent intervention. “The Asaba–Benin Expressway is a critical national asset. Its current state is unacceptable,” said the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge. He urged the Ministry of Works to provide temporary relief pending full rehabilitation.

For now, the expressway remains a symbol of government neglect—an abandoned lifeline that continues to claim lives and cripple trade across southern Nigeria.