N700bn required to maintain federal roads annually – FG

The Minister of State for Works, Mohammad Goronyo, has expressed concern that the current budgetary allocation to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency is grossly insufficient, given the critical role the agency plays in maintaining and repairing roads across the country, as well as the vast scale of the task it is responsible for nationwide.

He said the agency needs over N700bn yearly to maintain federal roads nationwide.

Goronyo who is the supervising minister of the agency, made this opening presentation at the budget defence before the joint session of the Senate and House Committees on FERMA.

A statement by the FERMA Director of Information and Public Relations, Maryam Sanusi, said the agency defended its budget proposal of N64.88bn, comprising N4.9bn for personnel costs, N33.468bn for overhead cost, and N26.487bn for capital cost for the 2025 fiscal year.

It stated that the amount is lower than the N77bn proposed for the year 2024.

This budget prioritises major trunk A roads within the six geopolitical zones, aligning with Mr President’s development and economic recovery objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In his address, the minister of state for works stated that N96.7bn was allocated to FERMA in the Act of 2024 which was later magnanimously increased to N103.3bn by Mr President.

Of this sum, only N41.282bn was released from the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to the agency out of which N40.287bn has been utilised to date.

Goronyo said FERMA is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability, using data-driven decision-making and regular community engagement in road maintenance planning.

He disclosed that in collaboration with the committees and key stakeholders, efforts to reduce the burden on Federal Government maintenance of road assets nationwide are being looked into.

However, he lamented the paucity of funds, stating that an oversight visit by the committee on March 7, 2024, observed that the yearly budget allocation to the agency is grossly inadequate to cater to the enormous task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of federal roads which will require over N700bn.

He said, “I want to implore this esteemed committee to support the agency to ensure the sustainability of road infrastructure maintenance. The benefits of increased financial support will ensure scaling up preventive maintenance and promoting sustainable road maintenance practices.

“FERMA is in the process of developing, modifying, and redefining key policies which will generate resources for the Agency to proactively maintain our roads for ease of movement of people, goods, and services. But the yearly budget allocation to the agency is grossly inadequate to cater to the enormous task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of Federal Roads which will require over N700bn annually.”

Goronyo further expressed gratitude to members of the Committees for their unwavering support in ensuring the sustainable development and maintenance of our Federal roads infrastructure in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA, Hussaini Babangida, frowned at the practice of introducing the construction of new roads without adequate measures to maintain existing ones.

He revealed that the committee was taken aback when they saw the proposed budgetary allocation to FERMA wondering why so much attention is paid to the construction of new roads at the expense of the maintenance of the existing ones.

“If we agree that roads are enablers of growth and development then there must be a need to interface with all stakeholders to find lasting solutions to this perennial issue of poor funding,” he said.