The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) said both major and minor road networks in Nigeria suffer from deterioration due to the absence of adequate maintenance funding allocated during budgeting for such roads.
The Managing Director of FERMA, Dr Chukwuma Agbasi, said this yesterday in Abuja at the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) seminar titled ‘Road Infrastructure: Plans and Priorities of FERMA viz-a-viz the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda’.
“The failure of road networks in Nigeria has many reasons and one of them is lack of provision for maintenance of the roads. Not paying attention to the maintenance of the roads leads to their failure,” he said.
He also pointed out that the backlog of maintenance tasks presents a significant challenge, adversely affecting the overall condition of roads throughout the country.
Agbasi emphasised the urgent need to address the ageing road surfaces nationwide to prevent further deterioration.
He noted that unpredictable weather patterns, exacerbated by climate change, contribute to unexpected road damage.
He also said improper use of road infrastructure, such as dumping refuse, uncontrolled parking, and spills of petroleum products, accelerates wear and tear.
He noted that vehicles exceeding the specified weight limit of 11 tonnes in Nigeria also impose stress on the road, further exacerbating the situation.
He said efforts were underway to improve FERMA’s operational funding and develop collaborative relationships with international road agencies.