Mr Minister, Infrastructure Is Not About Building New Roads Alone

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has raised a fundamental question about Nigeria’s infrastructure priorities, and I could not agree with him more. His observation that government should not continue awarding contracts for new roads while neglecting the maintenance of existing ones is not merely political criticism; it is a basic principle of responsible management.

When a householder continually builds new houses while allowing existing ones to deteriorate, the problem is not a lack of ambition. It is a failure of priorities, planning and resource management. The same principle applies to national infrastructure.

Senator Dave Umahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Works, is an engineer by profession. One would therefore expect his ministry to demonstrate not only technical competence but also strategic thinking, disciplined planning, sound policy decisions and prudent management of public resources. Engineering is not simply about constructing impressive structures. It is equally about anticipating problems, assessing risks, maintaining existing assets and ensuring that every investment delivers sustainable value.

Unfortunately, the controversies surrounding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway raise legitimate questions about whether these principles are receiving sufficient attention. The highway is an ambitious undertaking, intended to connect communities and stimulate economic activity along Nigeria’s coastline. No reasonable person would argue against strategic infrastructure development. However, ambition must be matched by careful planning, transparent procurement and responsible financial management.

Across Nigeria, existing federal highways are deteriorating. Motorists endure dangerous potholes, damaged bridges, failed drainage systems and journeys that should take hours but frequently consume entire days. Poor road conditions damage vehicles, increase transportation costs, endanger lives and raise the prices of goods. These are not abstract inconveniences; they impose a daily economic burden on ordinary citizens.

Against this background, Nigerians are entitled to ask why the maintenance of existing infrastructure does not command the same urgency, visibility and political commitment as monumental new projects.

The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway illustrates the importance of that question. Recent controversy over changes to sections of its alignment has prompted concerns about the relationship between the original design, engineering assessments, project costs and subsequent decisions. Umahi has explained that difficult ground conditions, including deep pits and unsuitable soil, made realignment necessary in parts of Ondo State.

Such challenges can arise in major engineering projects. A responsible ministry must adapt when investigations reveal unforeseen geological conditions. But that raises an equally important question: how comprehensive were the preliminary surveys, soil investigations, feasibility studies and risk assessments before the project was approved and construction commenced?

If the original investigations were adequate, the ministry should explain clearly what changed and why. If significant conditions were discovered only after work began, Nigerians deserve to understand whether the initial assessments were sufficient and what lessons have been learned. Design changes are not automatically evidence of incompetence, but they must be documented, justified and independently scrutinised, particularly when they have financial implications.

The public should not have to rely on competing political statements to understand a multitrillion-naira infrastructure project. The ministry should make relevant engineering assessments, approved designs, variations, cost implications and procurement documentation accessible to appropriate oversight bodies and the public, subject to legitimate security and commercial restrictions.

Furthermore, the scale of a project should never become a substitute for measuring its value. A government may announce hundreds of kilometres of new highways, but citizens should also ask how many existing roads have been rehabilitated, how many bridges have been secured, how maintenance budgets have been spent and whether completed projects remain fit for purpose.

Senator Oshiomhole’s criticism deserves attention because it challenges government to think beyond construction announcements and consider the broader responsibilities of stewardship. The real test of leadership is not how many new projects a minister can initiate, but how wisely that minister allocates resources and how much lasting public value those decisions create.

Mr Minister, Nigeria needs infrastructure that works, roads that last and public spending that can withstand scrutiny. We need strategic vision, but vision without sound planning becomes expensive experimentation. We need ambitious projects, but ambition without maintenance creates avoidable waste. Nigeria deserves both new roads and properly maintained old ones. Anything less is not strategic development; it is an incomplete understanding of public responsibility.
 

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