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By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
After the gridlock.
(C) Google.
A concerned Nigerian, Dr. Onujagbe Nasir, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and prioritise the completion of the long-abandoned Lokoja–Abuja road, describing the prolonged delay as unacceptable.
Dr. Nasir made the call in a statement he personally signed, a copy of which was made available to The Reporters in Lokoja on Tuesday.
He lamented that more than two decades after the award of the contract, the critical federal highway remains unfinished, despite its strategic importance to national security, economic activities and social cohesion.
While commending the Federal Government for revoking non-performing contracts, Dr. Nasir stressed that the time for decisive and visible action is now.
“Why has the reconstruction of this 358-kilometre road taken over two decades?” he queried. “Ironically, the much longer Kano–Abuja road, which was awarded about 15 years later, was completed in record time.
“Is there a bias in the Federal Government’s road prioritisation? Given its strategic importance, the Lokoja–Abuja road deserves urgent attention,” he said.
According to him, the continued neglect of the road has far-reaching consequences, including heightened security risks, economic stagnation and a growing erosion of public trust in governance.
“The government’s inaction has serious implications. As human capital drives prosperity, abandoning this road undermines national development,” Dr. Nasir warned.
He recalled that the construction contract was awarded by the Obasanjo administration in 2006 at a cost of ₦42.3 billion, with a completion timeline of 30 months.
“Yet, nearly 20 years and three successive administrations later, the project remains incomplete,” he noted, adding that the Federal Government in 2025 terminated some of the contracts due to poor performance, blaming inadequate supervision for the slow pace of work.
Dr. Nasir further urged the Tinubu administration to treat the completion of the Lokoja–Abuja road as a national priority, insisting that restoring the road would boost economic activities, improve security and rebuild public confidence in governance.
Meanwhile,report by Punch indicates that normal traffic flow has been restored on the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway following a disruption caused by a standoff between truck drivers and military personnel, the Federal Ministry of Works has announced.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed A. Ahmed, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the gridlock was triggered after the windscreen of a truck was smashed, prompting truck drivers to block a section of the highway.
The blockade resulted in severe traffic congestion, causing significant delays and hardship for motorists travelling towards Lokoja and other destinations during the festive period.
To address the situation, Umahi directed the immediate opening of already completed sections of the expressway and approved the deployment of all necessary measures to ease traffic and restore free movement.
The statement noted that the directive, which was implemented on Sunday, December 21, 2025, helped decongest the affected corridor and normalise vehicular movement.
The Federal Controller of Works in Kogi State, Patiko Isah, confirmed that traffic flow was fully restored around 2:00 a.m. through the collaborative efforts of the ministry’s field headquarters, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other security agencies.
Umahi appealed to motorists to remain patient, orderly, and cautious, especially during the peak holiday travel period, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to safe, efficient, and reliable road transportation nationwide. He also wished Nigerians a peaceful and joyous festive seaso
The FRSC had earlier deployed additional personnel and tow trucks along the Abuja–Lokoja corridor to address persistent congestion.
The Corps’ spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said the intervention followed directives from the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to ensure the prompt removal of obstructions and improve traffic flow.
