Reps Seek Road Expansion, Flyovers On Lokoja-Lagos Expressway

Reps Seek Road Expansion, Flyovers On Lokoja-Lagos Expressway

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, to expedite work on the Lokoja-Felele-Benin-Lagos Expressway to prevent frequent accidents that often result in loss of lives and injuries.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, moved during Wednesday’s plenary by Suleiman Aguye, the member representing Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency.

Supporting the motion, the All Progressives Congress lawmaker lamented that in 2025 alone, over ten accidents had occurred on the Lokoja-Nataco-Felele Expressway, leading to tragic and avoidable loss of lives, particularly among students.

“These accidents on the said road have left many others with varying degrees of injuries, including permanent incapacitation,” Aguye stated.

He recalled that on Monday, 17 February 2025, a tragic accident involving a school shuttle bus carrying ten students of the Federal University of Lokoja occurred when an articulated truck transporting wood rammed into the vehicle, resulting in multiple fatalities.

He further noted that many students from Kogi State Polytechnic, as well as residents of Lokoja, Felele, and surrounding communities, had also lost their lives in similar incidents.

The lawmaker attributed the frequent accidents to speeding and reckless driving by truck and tanker drivers, warning that failure to address the situation could lead to further loss of innocent lives.

He emphasised the urgent need for a bypass, a flyover bridge, and road expansion as key measures to mitigate future accidents along the high-risk one-kilometre stretch of the highway.

Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, to expedite road expansion and construct a flyover alongside pedestrian bridges for students and other road users.

Additionally, the House called for the restriction of trailer and truck movement within Lokoja and its metropolis to night hours, from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., to enhance safety and traffic management.

In a related development, the House urged the Ministry of Works to prioritise and fast-track the reconstruction of the Bida–Agaie-Lapai–Lambata-Suleja Road to ease traffic congestion and reduce the need for tankers to park along major roads.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion titled “Need to Address the Indiscriminate Parking of Petroleum and Articulated Vehicles in Bida, Niger State, to Avert Impending Danger.” The motion was sponsored by Saidu Abdullahi, the member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, Niger State.

Abdullahi recalled that youth groups in Bida had petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, expressing concerns over the indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers, which posed serious safety and environmental risks.

“The recent tragic tanker explosion at Diko Junction in Niger State, which claimed numerous lives and destroyed properties, highlights the grave danger posed by improperly parked tankers and the urgent need for regulatory enforcement,” he stated.

He further noted that several local associations, including Nupe Excel, Landzun Youth Development Association, Bida 70s, and Eid Youth Association, had raised alarm over the risks posed by these parked tankers, citing increased road accidents, environmental hazards from flammable substances, traffic congestion, and growing security concerns.

To address the issue, Abdullahi explained that the Niger State Government had embarked on constructing a 44km dual-carriage bypass, complete with infrastructure such as a trailer transit park. However, he lamented that limited resources had hindered the project’s completion.

He also highlighted the abandonment of the Mokwa-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna route due to banditry and poor road conditions, which had diverted more traffic onto the already congested Bida-Agaie-Lapai-Lambata-Suleja route.

Abdullahi, who serves as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, criticised the slow pace of reconstruction on the Bida-Suleja Road despite an alternative funding source through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme. He argued that the delay had significantly contributed to the indiscriminate parking of tankers along major roads, worsening traffic congestion and increasing accident risks.

In its resolution, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to engage and sensitise key stakeholders, including the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association, and the National Association of Road Transport Owners, on safety compliance.

Additionally, the House called for collaboration between the Federal Government and the Niger State Government to establish structured parking facilities in major towns along the route, particularly in Bida and Lambata, to ensure safety and improve traffic flow.

The House also urged the Federal Government, through the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Ministry of Works, to prioritise the reconstruction and security of the Mokwa-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road.

Lastly, security agencies were tasked with enhancing patrol and monitoring of high-risk areas to prevent security breaches and safeguard lives.