Reps ask FG to concession federal roads to investors, reintroduce tolls for rehabilitation

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to concession federal roads to investors and reintroduce tolls on selected highways to ensure sustainable infrastructure development and enhance security.

The lower legislative chamber passed the motion during Wednesday’s plenary, following the adoption of a motion co-sponsored by Esosa Iyawe (Oredo federal constituency), Olusola Fatoba (Ado Ekiti/Irepodun-Ifelodun federal constituency), Abdulmaleek Danga (Adavi/Okehi federal constituency) and Uche Okonkwo (Idemili north/Idemili south federal constituency).

Moving the motion, Iyawe, the lead sponsor, said an efficient road transportation network is fundamental to national economic development, trade facilitation, agricultural productivity, industrial growth, national security and the general welfare of citizens.

The legislator said several federal roads across Nigeria have “deteriorated significantly due to prolonged neglect, inadequate maintenance, insufficient funding, and increasing pressure from heavy-duty vehicles, resulting in avoidable accidents, loss of life, vehicle damage, higher transportation costs, and delays in the movement of goods and people”.

He said Edo, which sits on a major transportation corridor linking several parts of southern Nigeria, suffers from the deplorable condition of several roads connecting other states.

The lawmaker said the poor condition of the roads has adversely affected commercial activities, increased the cost of transporting agricultural produce and other essential commodities, discouraged investment, and imposed significant economic hardship on residents, commuters and businesses.

The legislator noted that the federal government’s reliance on annual budgetary allocations to rehabilitate and maintain an extensive federal road network has not consistently delivered the required level of infrastructure renewal, necessitating the exploration of sustainable alternative financing and management arrangements.

Iyawe said concessioning through transparent public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements can attract private capital, technical expertise, and efficient project management to rehabilitate, operate, and maintain federal roads over the long term, while reducing the federal government’s immediate financial burden.

“The reintroduction of properly regulated toll gates on selected rehabilitated federal highways could provide a sustainable mechanism for recovering private investment, financing routine maintenance, supporting road safety operations and generating revenue for the federal government,” he said.

The lawmaker said establishing and operating toll gates will create direct and indirect employment opportunities for host communities through toll administration, security services, traffic management, maintenance, catering, retail businesses, and other ancillary services.

“Strategically located toll plazas, when properly designed and coordinated with relevant security agencies, can serve as additional points for lawful security presence, intelligence gathering, emergency response and the monitoring of vehicular movements, without disrupting the free movement of citizens or becoming instruments of harassment and extortion,” he said.

The legislator said any tolling arrangement must be transparent, affordable, technologically efficient, and supported by enforceable service standards to ensure motorists receive measurable improvements in road quality, safety, and travel efficiency in return for toll payments.

The motion was adopted when Tajudeen Abbas Tajudee Abbas, speaker of the house, called for a voice vote.

Consequently, the house asked the ministry of works to develop and implement a comprehensive national framework for the concessioning of eligible federal roads to competent private investors under transparent PPP arrangements, with priority given to roads requiring urgent rehabilitation and those serving as major economic and commercial corridors.

The parliament also asked the works ministry to reintroduce tolls on selected federal highways after substantial rehabilitation and the establishment of clear concession agreements, with toll charges determined through transparent economic assessments, public consultation and affordability considerations.