The Minister of State for Works, Mohammad Goronyo, has shed light on the pressing need for the country to invest in the upkeep and repair of its road infrastructure.
His comments came in response to the insufficient budget allocated to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Goronyo emphasized that the agency needs more than ₦700 billion each year to properly maintain federal roads nationwide.
According to a statement from FERMA’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Maryam Sanusi, the agency has submitted a budget proposal of ₦64.88 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. This proposal includes ₦4.9 billion for personnel expenses, ₦33.47 billion for operational costs, and ₦26.49 billion earmarked for capital projects—significantly less than the ₦77 billion requested for 2024.
The proposed budget focuses on key trunk A roads across the six geopolitical zones, in line with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at fostering national development and economic recovery.
In his address, Goronyo noted that FERMA was initially allocated ₦96.7 billion in the 2024 budget, which was later raised to ₦103.3 billion by the president. However, only ₦41.28 billion of this amount has been released by the Accountant-General’s office, with ₦40.29 billion already spent.
The minister underscored FERMA’s dedication to transparency, accountability, and community involvement in road maintenance strategies, while also recognizing the agency’s struggles due to inadequate funding. He reiterated that to effectively manage the extensive network of federal roads, an annual budget exceeding ₦700 billion is essential.
“I appeal to this esteemed committee to support the agency in ensuring the sustainability of road infrastructure maintenance,” Goronyo said. “Increased financial support will allow us to scale up preventive maintenance and promote sustainable road practices.”
He further disclosed that FERMA is working on revising key policies to generate additional resources for proactive road maintenance and ensure smoother transportation of people, goods, and services.
Expressing gratitude to the legislative committees for their support, Goronyo emphasized the importance of maintaining federal roads to achieve the goals of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
During his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA, Hussaini Babangida, criticized the practice of prioritizing new road construction over the maintenance of existing ones.
“It is concerning that the budget allocation to FERMA is insufficient to address the pressing need for road maintenance,” Babangida said. “If we agree that roads are enablers of growth and development, then stakeholders must collaborate to find lasting solutions to the issue of poor funding.”
He called for a balanced approach to road construction and maintenance, stressing the need for adequate measures to preserve existing road infrastructure while supporting new projects.
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