Minister of Works, David Umahi, has chided the concessionaire handling the Benin-Asaba Highway over the slow pace of reconstruction and expansion works on the 125-kilometre road, threatening to arrest contractors found removing asphalt from existing roads.
Umahi gave the warning when he undertook an on-the-spot assessment of the highway following concerns over the suffering of motorists and host communities arising from the ongoing works, a statement from the ministry said.
He accused the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) of unprofessional conduct and failure to respond adequately to repeated warnings from the Ministry of Works and the project’s Independent Engineer, Yolas Consultants Limited.
“You are not adhering to engineering best practices in road construction and your methodology is adversely impacting road users, host neighbourhoods and the pace of work,” the minister said.
Umahi, who apologised to Nigerians and residents of communities along the corridor over the difficulties caused by the construction, said the concessionaire had also tampered with asphalt on portions of the highway that were still smooth.
According to him, the action had damaged road sections where the substructure had already been stabilised. He therefore directed all Federal Controllers of Works and Engineering Representatives to arrest any contractor who completely removes asphalt from an existing road.
Umahi dismissed the explanations by the concessionaire as “unprofessional and untenable excuses”. The minister said a competent contractor would immediately be engaged to remedy the critically bad sections of the highway and improve traffic flow.
He assured motorists and host communities that President Bola Tinubu was aware of their difficulties and was committed to providing relief.
The Benin-Asaba Highway runs from the AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, to Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State, covering 125 kilometres. The highway is a major link between the South-South, South-East and parts of the South-West, facilitating the movement of passengers and goods and connecting several economic centres.
It is one of the pilot corridors under Phase I of the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), being implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The initiative is designed to leverage private-sector investment and technical expertise for the development, operation and management of federal highways outside the Federal Government’s balance sheet.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the concession of the Benin-Asaba Highway on January 16, 2023, on a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) basis for a 25-year concession period, including a three-year construction period.
The concession agreement was executed on May 23, 2023, between the Ministry of Works and BAECC.
The ministry said it had undertaken several technical engagements and inspections since the project commenced, including a ministerial site inspection in October 2025, Project Delivery Team inspections in January and May 2026 and meetings involving the ministry, BAECC and the Independent Engineer in July 2026.
It said the engagements had revealed shortcomings in the execution of the project, prompting further directives to the concessionaire to make immediate corrections.
Explaining the slow progress of the project, the Managing Director of BAECC, Samuel Daramola, attributed the situation to the heavy volume of traffic on the highway and torrential rainfall experienced along the corridor.
Speaking during the inspection, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, and Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, expressed concern over the condition of the highway.
The lawmakers described the situation as “an unacceptable disaster” and pledged to undertake a nationwide review of concession agreements to ensure strict compliance with their terms.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South-South Zone, Gift Johnbull, assured residents that Tinubu was aware of their plight and had directed that a lasting solution be found.
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, also assured motorists and residents that steps were being taken to address the problems on the highway, while appealing for patience as the work progresses.
The inspection team also visited the ongoing reconstruction of 23 kilometresof failed sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road using Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP).
The project, being undertaken by the Edo State Government on behalf of the Federal Government and executed by CBC Global Civil and Building Construction (Nig.) Limited, the statement said, has reached 75 per cent completion.
Umahi expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of the work.
The team also inspected the ongoing reconstruction of a 10-kilometre stretch of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, Section I, Phase 2, being undertaken by the Edo State Government on behalf of the Federal Government and executed by CCECC (Nigeria) Limited.
The project, also being executed with CRCP, has reached about 25 per cent completion and was reported to be progressing smoothly.
Emmanuel Addeh
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