Chris Akhabue, Edo
For decades, one of the most enduring symbols of infrastructural neglect in the South-South region has been the Benin–Asaba Expressway. A strategic federal highway connecting Edo and Delta states while serving as a critical link between the South-South, South-East, South-West and other parts of Nigeria, the road has, over the years, become synonymous with avoidable hardship, prolonged journeys, vehicular breakdowns and debilitating traffic gridlocks.
But beyond the potholes, failed portions and perennial traffic congestion lies a bigger lesson about governance, the ability of a government to listen to its people, engage the Federal Government constructively and convert political relationships into concrete development outcomes.
That lesson is becoming increasingly evident in Edo State under Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, particularly in the Federal Government’s renewed intervention on the Benin–Asaba Expressway.
The road crisis did not begin overnight. Following years of intense use, especially by heavy-duty trucks and trailers, and prolonged concerns over maintenance, sections of the highway progressively deteriorated. Heavy rainfall repeatedly worsened the situation, transforming already weakened portions into dangerous stretches that became difficult, and at times almost impossible, for motorists to navigate.
By 2022 and 2023, the situation had become particularly distressing. Motorists spent hours navigating deep potholes, gullies and failed sections, while commuters endured lengthy delays. The situation was compounded by the heavy commercial traffic that characterises the corridor.
The Benin–Asaba Expressway was originally constructed in 2001 by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration while Chief Tony Anenih of blessed memory was the Minister of Works and Housing as a major federal highway to provide a wider and more efficient alternative route for regional traffic
Its strategic importance has only increased with Nigeria’s expanding population, commercial activities and movement of goods between the western and eastern parts of the country.
Yet, years of neglect and inadequate intervention gradually turned sections of the highway into a major national infrastructure challenge.
The anguish and frustrations on that road corridor eventually boiled over into public outcry and protests.
On October 25, 2023, Ikpoba Hill Youths and residents around the Ikpoba Hill axis of Benin City barricaded access routes in protest against the deplorable condition of the Benin–Asaba corridor. The protest, which coincided with the busy Oregbeni market day, disrupted commercial activities and movement around the area.
Travellers were stranded, commuters were forced to trek considerable distances and motorists experienced severe hardship.
The protest indicated a reality that could no longer be ignored, the condition of the road was no longer merely an infrastructure issue. It had become an economic, social and humanitarian concern affecting businesses, families, transport operators and ordinary citizens. In fact it snowballed into a national embarrassment.
There were subsequent palliative intervention by the previous administration of Mr Godwin Obaseki but the temporary repairs struggled to withstand the combination of heavy traffic and seasonal rainfall.
The eventual concession of the 125-kilometre corridor under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to the Benin–Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) was expected to provide a lasting solution.
However, concerns over the pace and quality of work persisted. Portions of the road were scraped without corresponding completion, leaving motorists to contend with unpaved stretches, deep craters and inadequate drainage.
When heavy rainfall returned in August 2026, the consequences were severe. Some motorists and heavy-duty trucks became trapped for days, generating renewed public outrage and drawing national attention to the condition of the highway.
Once again, the people spoke,and this time, the response was swift. The renewed intervention provides an illustration of what responsive and practical governance can mean in concrete terms.
Rather than treating the protests merely as a security challenge or dismissing the grievances of the affected communities, Governor Monday Okpebholo moved to engage the Federal Government on the urgent need for intervention.
The Governor’s response was particularly significant because the Benin–Asaba Expressway is a federal road. Edo State alone could not determine the fate of the entire corridor.
Consequently, what was required was not simply political rhetoric but constructive engagement between the state and federal authorities.
That engagement produced a visible response as the Federal Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, accompanied by Governor Okpebholo, visited the troubled corridor following the renewed outcry and protests by the Ikpoba Hill Youths ably led by Comrade Kingsley Osemwingie. The Federal Government subsequently moved to initiate emergency intervention while taking steps concerning the concession arrangement.
The initiative which was subsequently described as “Operation Rescue Benin–Asaba Expressway” witnessed immediate palliative remedies as sections of the highway began receiving emergency attention, bringing renewed hope to commuters and communities that had become accustomed to promises without enduring solutions.
The Benin–Asaba experience raises an important question about the relationship between state and federal governments.
In a federal system such as Nigeria’s, many infrastructure projects are constitutionally or administratively under the control of the Federal Government. A state governor may have limited direct authority over such projects but possesses significant political and administrative influence in advocating for his people.
This is where the relationship between Governor Okpebholo and the Presidency assumes practical importance and relevance. A cordial relationship between a state government and the Federal Government, when directed towards public interest, can facilitate communication, accelerate attention to urgent issues and create opportunities for federal intervention in matters affecting such state and this is a clear demonstration that governance anchored on the welfare and interest of the people works better when different levels of government are able to communicate, cooperate and pursue mutually beneficial solutions to problems affecting citizens.
In the case of the Benin–Asaba Expressway, the immediate beneficiaries of that robust relationship between the Edo state governor and the presidency is not a political party but the ordinary citizens, irrespective of their political affiliation.
In this case, it is the commercial driver whose vehicle no longer has to navigate treacherous stretches of road, the trader whose goods can move more efficiently between markets, that passenger who can travel between Edo and Delta without spending an unreasonable number of hours in traffic and the entire Nigerian economy, because efficient transportation infrastructure remains essential to commerce and economic productivity.
When a governor engages the Presidency on an issue of public importance, and the Presidency responds through the appropriate federal institutions, the result can be a practical dividend of democracy.
The Benin–Asaba Expressway intervention therefore represents more than road construction but demonstrates how a responsive state government can amplify the concerns of its citizens and place them before the Federal Government with the urgency they deserve. It equally demonstrates the importance of a Federal Government that is willing to listen to legitimate concerns from the states and mobilise its agencies to respond.
Governor Okpebholo acknowledged this dimension when he expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for responding to the concerns surrounding the highway.
While addressing the gathering of people of Edo state and the Minister’s entourage while flagging off what is described as Operation Resque Benin-Asaba Express Way, the governor of Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, said, “We are here today not to witness the commencement of another road project. We are witnessing the response of a government that has heard the cries of its people and has chosen to act. The 125-kilometre Benin–Asaba Road was concessioned under a Public-Private Partnership to BAECC for completion within three years. Unfortunately, the pace and manner of execution fell far short of the Contract Agreement, leaving commuters and communities to endure worsening road conditions, severe gridlock and immense hardship. That is why today’s intervention is truly a rescue operation.
“On behalf of the good people of Edo State, I sincerely thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for listening to our people and responding decisively to the hardship experienced by commuters and communities along this corridor. This is the mark of a President who means well for Edo people and for Nigerians.
“I also commend the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for his commitment and personal intervention in bringing this road back on track. To our communities and the millions of commuters who have endured the gridlock, delays and difficult conditions, we thank you for your patience and understanding. Your voices were heard. To the new contractor, this is a road of great economic importance to Edo, Delta and Nigeria. We expect quality work, strict compliance with the approved project specifications, and delivery within the agreed timeframe. There must be no excuses. Let this intervention mark the beginning of the end of the hardship on the Benin-Asaba corridor”
That statement captures the central philosophy behind the intervention.
Governor Okpebholo has therefore placed an important expectation on the contractors handling the intervention: quality work, compliance with approved specifications and timely delivery and the message was unambiguously unequivocal.
“There must be no excuses. Let this intervention mark the beginning of the end of the hardship on the Benin-Asaba corridor.”
That expectation reflects the growing demand for accountability in public infrastructure projects.
For Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general, the Benin–Asaba Expressway is more than a transport corridor. It is an economic artery as it is strategically positioned as a major gateway between different regions of Nigeria. The movement of people, agricultural products, manufactured goods, petroleum products and other commodities through the corridor directly affects economic activity across several states.
Governor Okpebholo’s practical governance approach, bringing the concerns of the people directly to the Federal Government and working with the relevant federal authorities shows how state leadership should, for the benefit of the people, pursue federal interventions on projects outside its direct jurisdiction that would bring dividends of democracy closer to the doorstep of the people.
The Benin–Asaba Expressway rescue initiative, if sustained to completion and backed by quality construction and maintenance, could therefore become more than an infrastructure project. It could stand as a practical illustration of what can happen when responsive state leadership, constructive federal engagement and presidential attention converge around a problem that has troubled millions of Nigerians for years.
Ultimately, the true dividend of democracy is not found in political slogans but in practical governance as exemplified by the commendable actions of the Edo state governor Senator Monday Okpebholo.
For a better society
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