The House of Representatives has proposed reintroducing toll gates on selected federal highways after rehabilitation, alongside private-sector investment in road construction and maintenance, to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit.
The proposal is aimed at reducing dependence on annual budgetary allocations and creating a sustainable funding mechanism for road repairs, safety operations and long-term maintenance.
The lawmakers made the call in a motion jointly sponsored by Esosa Iyawe (APC, Edo), Olusola Fatoba (APC, Ekiti), Abdulmaleek Danga (PDP, Kogi) and Uche Okonkwo (NDC, Anambra) during Wednesday’s plenary.
Presenting the motion, Iyawe blamed the deteriorating condition of several federal roads on prolonged neglect, inadequate maintenance, insufficient funding and pressure from heavy-duty vehicles.
He said the situation had contributed to accidents, loss of lives, vehicle damage, higher transport costs and delays in moving people and goods.
Iyawe highlighted the Benin-Lagos, Benin-Asaba, Benin-Warri and Benin-Okene corridors, describing them as important routes requiring urgent rehabilitation.
According to him, the poor state of the roads has disrupted commercial activities, increased the cost of transporting agricultural produce and other essential commodities, discouraged investment and worsened economic hardship for commuters and businesses.
The motion proposed transparent public-private partnership arrangements to attract private capital, technical expertise and efficient management for the rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of eligible federal roads.
“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,” the motion stated.
Iyawe said tolling could also create direct and indirect jobs in host communities through toll administration, security services, traffic management, road maintenance and related businesses.
He added that strategically located toll plazas could support lawful security operations, intelligence gathering and emergency response when properly coordinated with security agencies.
However, the lawmaker stressed that any tolling arrangement must be transparent, affordable and technologically efficient, with enforceable service standards to ensure motorists receive measurable improvements in road quality and safety.
The House urged the Federal Ministry of Works to develop a national framework for concessioning eligible federal roads, prioritising highways requiring urgent rehabilitation and major economic corridors.
It also called on the ministry to work with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and other relevant agencies to identify roads suitable for concessioning, rehabilitation, operation and long-term maintenance.
Under the proposal, toll charges would be determined through transparent economic assessments, public consultation and affordability considerations. Toll gates would be reintroduced only on selected highways after substantial rehabilitation and the establishment of clear concession agreements.
The motion was seconded by other lawmakers, while Ajang Iliya (APC, Plateau) adopted it without debate.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, referred the motion to the Committees on Public Assets, Works and Finance for further legislative action. The committees are expected to consult relevant agencies and report back to the House within four weeks.
Discussion0