The Federal Government has commenced emergency repairs on the failed section of the Ifaki-Oye-Kabba Road in Ekiti State after days of gridlock left motorists and articulated vehicles stranded along the major highway.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, visited the affected sections of the road on Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage and the hardship faced by road users.
The visit followed growing concerns over the worsening condition of the highway, which has caused severe traffic congestion and disrupted the movement of people and goods between Ekiti, Kogi and other parts of the country. The Federal Road Safety Corps had earlier advised motorists to use alternative routes because of the damaged section around Oye-Ekiti. (Tribune Online)
At the affected portion around Oye-Ekiti, articulated vehicles were seen stranded, with some reportedly trapped for several days.
One of the drivers, Quasm Abudu, said he had been stuck at the location for about three days, lamenting the financial losses and opportunities he had missed as a result of the prolonged delay.
A resident of Oye-Ekiti and road user, Bolade Olowo, described the situation as “traumatic and unpalatable”, saying the deterioration of the highway was crippling economic activities in the area.
“The continued deterioration of the road is crippling socio-economic activities. It has cut off communities in the local government and along the route. It also poses a serious security threat in the area,” Olowo said.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and other relevant authorities to urgently mobilise resources to rehabilitate the road.
Olowo noted that the route connects Ifaki, Oye, Ayegbaju, Ilupeju, Itapa and Osin-Ekiti and serves as an important link between communities in Oye Local Government and other parts of the country.
The Federal Government’s intervention came after reports of hundreds of trucks and articulated vehicles becoming stranded following the collapse of portions of the highway. The FRSC subsequently announced traffic diversions and recommended alternative routes, including Kabba-Ikare-Owo-Akure and the Okene route for motorists travelling from Abuja towards Ibadan and Lagos. (Tribune Online)
Speaking during the inspection, Goronyo said the Ifaki-Oye-Kabba Road was a critical economic corridor linking the South-West with northern Nigeria and therefore required urgent attention.
He disclosed that the Federal Government awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the road to Gamji in 2025 but said the contractor had complained of inadequate funding.
“The contractor had been mobilised, but was complaining of inadequate funding. The Federal Government will review the funding arrangement and ensure that the contractor is adequately mobilised to return to site,” he said.
Goronyo said the government had commenced immediate intervention through FERMA, with equipment and materials already deployed to the affected section.
He appealed to motorists to remain patient, saying the government was determined to restore movement on the road as quickly as possible.
“We want to appeal to all the people concerned that they should be patient with us. We will make sure that we put this road to use very, very soon,” he said.
The minister added that articulated vehicles would be temporarily prevented from accessing the road from the Ifaki end until the emergency palliative works were completed.
“We are deploying materials to this place and they should create a conducive atmosphere for the contractor to be able to do this work within 48 hours,” he said.
The Federal Government’s decision to send officials to the road followed an earlier directive by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, after reports highlighted the worsening condition of the highway and the plight of stranded motorists. Umahi had said Goronyo would lead senior ministry officials and engineers to inspect the road and determine immediate measures to restore access. (Tribune Online)
Goronyo also inspected the Efon-Iwaraja Road, where motorists were forced to turn back because of a deep ditch on a section of the road.
He promised immediate remedial work on the affected portion, assuring residents and motorists that the Federal Government would not allow the federal highway to remain impassable.
“I am assuring residents and motorists that the Federal Government would undertake immediate remedial work on the Efon-Iwaraja Road to restore access and ease the hardship being experienced by road users,” he said.
The minister said the interventions formed part of President Tinubu’s broader directive to address critical road failures across the country and ensure the free flow of traffic.
Goronyo also highlighted major road projects being undertaken by the administration, including the approximately 1,068-kilometre Illela-Sokoto-Badagry Highway, the approximately 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road.
“The massive investment in road infrastructure is necessary because roads are central to virtually every aspect of the economy. Once you have roads, you have security, you have employment generation, you have agriculture, you have healthcare. You have everything. Roads lead to prosperity,” he said.
He added that the administration was determined to complete ongoing road projects and use improved transportation infrastructure to stimulate commerce, industrial activity, employment and food security.
“There is no president in the history of this country that has given priority to road infrastructure like President Bola Tinubu,” Goronyo said.
“For the past one week, the Minister of Works, David Umahi; myself; all the directors in the ministry, all the SAs and SSAs of Mr President, we have been crisscrossing the roads across the country. We have met a very difficult situation, and we are fixing it,” he added.
The latest intervention comes amid renewed concerns over the condition of federal highways in Ekiti, with the Ifaki-Oye-Ilupeju-Kabba corridor emerging as a major source of disruption for commuters, transporters and businesses dependent on the movement of goods across the region. (Tribune Online)
