The Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, has criticised the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for failing to maintain Nigeria’s federal highways, accusing the agency of neglecting its core responsibilities over the past decade.
Speaking with State House correspondents after leading the chairpersons and managing directors of the seven Regional Development Commissions in a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Momoh said the agency had not “been alive to its duties.”
“What most of our roads need now is regular maintenance. Unfortunately, the maintenance culture was abandoned,” the minister said. “With due respect, I think FERMA, for more than eight or ten years, did not really live up to its responsibility. Most of the roads were not properly attended to on time.”
Momoh attributed the challenges to weak coordination and the neglect of routine maintenance, calling for stronger collaboration between FERMA, the Ministry of Works, and the regional commissions.
“Once FERMA works in synergy with the Ministry of Works and these commissions, the condition of our roads will improve,” he added.
He also commended several state governments for stepping in to rehabilitate sections of federal roads.
“In Delta State, the governor told us they have taken up about 10 kilometres on the Benin–Warri road, while the Edo State government is fixing the Sapele–Olugoria axis,” Momoh said.
He noted that as the Regional Development Commissions begin full operations, “we will see significant improvement in road maintenance.”
