By Ovie Okpare
The Federal Ministry of Works on Monday says it has begun a search for an alternative contractor to commence work on the Benin-Asaba Road project, citing several breaches of contractual agreement by the Benin–Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC), the contracting firm handling the road project.
The Ministry specifically accused the Concessionaire of its continued resolve to embarrass the administration of President Bola Tinubu and the ministry by deliberately delaying the job, thereby subjecting Nigerians to untold hardship and loss of economic hours daily.
Speaking at a press conference in Benin, Edo State Capital, after the inspection of some sections of the road on Monday, the Federal Controller of Works, Edo State, Engr. Tajudeen Babatunde, urged Nigerians using the road to be patient with the government, stressing that the impasse would soon be resolved.
Babatunde, who commended the proactive steps being taken by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Works is considering the termination of the concession agreement with BAECC over alleged failure to meet key obligations on the 125-kilometre Highway project.
The development followed the August 25, 2026 inspection of the highway by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, alongside the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, after commuters had suffered for several weeks on the route.
But speaking after Monday’s tour, Babatunde further accused BAECC of making slow progress on the project, delivering substandard work and allegedly worsening the condition of portions of the highway after scarifying existing asphalt.
According to him, Umahi declared during his visit that BAECC had “grossly defaulted” on several clauses of the concession agreement, resulting in a dispute over the execution of the project.
The alleged breaches include the scarification of stable asphaltic surfaces, engagement of allegedly unqualified personnel, lack of capacity to deliver the project, slow pace of construction and poor-quality work.
The ministry also faulted the concessionaire’s traffic management, blaming the company for recurring gridlock along the busy corridor.
The traffic crisis, according to the Federal Controller, was first experienced in December 2025 and resurfaced on August 19, 2026, leaving motorists stranded and commuters frustrated.
Babatunde expressed disappointment that, about two weeks after the minister engaged with BAECC and other stakeholders, the concessionaire had yet to take what he described as serious steps to address the worsening condition of the highway.
“Two weeks after the public engagement of the Concessionaire by the HM and other stakeholders, it is very sad to note that the Company has not shown any serious sense of remorse and abide by the FMW requests to fix the road to alleviate our people’s suffering and guard against the possibility of losing innocent lives on the road.
“The Concessionaire has resolved to continuously embarrass this administration and the FMW by not doing the needful to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians but rather prefers to perpetually stay on the project, subjecting motorists to daily hardship so that they can claim money from the federation account for doing absolutely negative progress of work.
“The intention of the Concessionaire to defeat the concept of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is totally unacceptable, as the Federal Government of Nigeria means well for its people by adopting the concept of PPP in some of our infrastructural projects nationwide, as it is being practiced globally, even in so many developed Countries”, he stated.
He said the Federal Government could no longer allow the contractual arrangement to override the interest and safety of Nigerians using the strategic corridor.
The Benin-Asaba Highway, which runs from the Ring Road Roundabout in Benin City to Summit Junction in Asaba, is a major economic route connecting the South-South, South-East and parts of the South-West.
The project is one of the pilot corridors under the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative, HDMI, being executed through a Public-Private Partnership.
The Federal Executive Council approved the 25-year concession to BAECC on January 16, 2023, while the concession agreement was signed on May 23, 2023. The arrangement provides for a three-year construction period.
The Federal Government introduced the PPP model to attract private-sector funding and technical expertise into the development and management of major highways while reducing pressure on public finances.
Babatunde, however, said the arrangement must not become a source of hardship for Nigerians.
He appealed to motorists to exercise patience, assuring them that Umahi was exploring alternative measures within his powers to restore the highway.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritising infrastructure development and praised the Works Minister for his continued efforts to inspect and address the condition of federal roads across the country.
