Umahi inspects Benin-Agbor-Asaba expressway, apologises to commuters

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Tuesday led an urgent federal intervention on the congested Benin-Agbor-Asaba Expressway following President Bola Tinubu’s order to ease the hardship faced by stranded motorists.

Umahi's arrival in Edo State was disclosed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, who shared a video of the minister’s on-site inspection on his official X handle.

“Umahi arrives in Benin, Edo State, to address the congestion on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road,” Nwaze posted, adding in a subsequent update, “Umahi arrives Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road to resolve issues surrounding the road, which was handed over to concessionaire on PPP Basis since 2025.”

In an official press statement issued on Tuesday, Nwaze confirmed that Tinubu ordered immediate corrective measures on both the Benin-Agbor-Asaba axis and the deplorable Ifaki-Kabba-Ado Ekiti road spanning Ekiti and Kogi States.

To execute the directive, Umahi reportedly deployed the Minister of State for Works alongside ministry officials to commence remedial works on the Ekiti-Kogi corridor.

“While the intervention team moved into Ekiti and Kogi States, Umahi himself headed to Benin, Edo State, alongside members of the National Assembly Works Committees, to initiate a similar coordinated intervention on the Benin-Agbor-Asaba road.

“The Benin meeting is expected to bring together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Edo and Delta State Governments and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with the aim of finding immediate solutions to the challenges confronting motorists on the strategic corridor,” the statement partly read.

Nwaze also noted that Umahi took responsibility for the unfortunate situation on the affected roads and apologised to commuters who have been stranded or delayed for several hours and days.

He assured road users that the Federal Government’s response would go beyond temporary relief, with immediate measures being pursued alongside permanent solutions to restore the affected roads and improve their long-term reliability,” the statement concluded.

Umahi’s inspection comes days after several people were reported to have taken to the Benin-Agbor Bypass to protest the deplorable condition of them road and call for urgent repairs.