Tinubu Orders Nationwide Audit of Federal Roads

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed a comprehensive nationwide audit of federal highways and the creation of a geo-referenced national road database to improve planning, maintenance and value for money in infrastructure delivery.

He said sustainable road management must be driven by accurate and reliable data, stressing that the government can no longer rely on a reactive approach to maintenance.

The president spoke through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the opening of the 2026 Roads Summit organised by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in Abuja.

He instructed FERMA to intensify routine road condition audits, safety audits and post-failure assessments across the federal road network, noting that a comprehensive inventory of failed and failing roads is now imperative.

Tinubu said the proposed geo-referenced database should clearly document the causes of road failures, including design limitations, construction quality, axle overloading, drainage challenges, climate impacts and maintenance lapses.

“With accurate and up-to-date data, Nigeria can move decisively from emergency repairs to predictive and preventive maintenance planning,” he said.

Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, lamented the abuse of Nigerian roads through overloading, reckless driving and unauthorised use.

FERMA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr Dr. Emeka Agbasi, said roads remain vital to economic growth, facilitating the movement of agricultural produce to markets, industrial goods to ports and access to education and healthcare.

However, he noted that deteriorating assets, maintenance backlogs, climate-induced damage, funding constraints and road safety concerns continue to impose high economic costs, including higher vehicle operating expenses, longer travel times, reduced competitiveness and increased risks to human lives.