Why there are road failures in Nigeria – Ministry of Works

 The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH), says societal development and indiscriminate dumping of refuse are major causes of drainage systems blockage which leads to road failures.

According to him, one of the major considerations when building roads is cost, drains are provided for those areas it is required.

“We cannot not just do drains from beginning to end that would not be cost effective what we do to identify some parts that need drain.

“There is no way we build our roads an not provide drain because if we don’t provide drain automatically we know that with time it will fail.

“The challenge is that  when you build a road it attracts development. When the place is developed then houses start coming up and there are instances where people build on drainage parts.

“Other issues has to do with indiscipline in terms of throwing of refuse in drains  some with time it is tilted that is where maintenance come in  but a lot of times it is out of abuse that you discover that the roads fail .

Ananagba further said that the only area government does not build drainage is when government build in an open area where drainage was not necessary because water would automatically drain off the road.

“However, when development comes they might now build in such area that is why sometimes we might now go back to provide drain in such places but under normal circumstances when we design our roads we provide drainage.

“So drains are very important intact we know that a road that is not properly drained will eventually fail.”

Speaking on building toll gates across major highways in the country, he said the collection would only take off if the roads to be tolled were completely in good shape.

“We would not  want to start tolling a road when the road is not completed, it would not make sense for people to drive on bad roads.

“So they are waiting for some of these roads to be totally completed before they can have the justification of collecting toll.

“The road from Makurdi to Nasarawa that is presently tolled that particular one is being done through a loan with the Chinese.

“There is an agreement so that one is part of the way of recouping   for the repayment of the loan so they started providing drains when the drains  have been completed the drains people will now know they have value for money.”

He explained that tolling also had to do with provision of alternative routes for commuters.

“If I am tolling am collecting money from people especially now that things are even difficult, tolling the roads you should give people alternative routes.

“So that those that do not the  money will have alternative routes it might be a longer route but if you have the shorter route you can pay but there has to be alternative routes that is part of the tolling policy.”Ananagba said.

Similarly, the immediate past President of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Mr Ali Rabiu said globally roads are tolled to provide funds to maintain them.

“Today to travel from Abuja to Lafia even up to Makurdi the road is very smooth and they building toll gates on the road.

“It is better for you to pay a token amount  and travel on safer roads than not pay anything and cause yourself, your vehicle and other road users harm,” Rabiu said.

NAN reports that previously tolls were collected on major highways across the country until they were dismantled by the President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

NAN also reports that in 2019 the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Federal Executive Council approved the Federal Roads and Tolling Policy and Regulations aimed at reintroducing toll plazas on Nigerian roads. (NAN)