For years, residents, motorists and visitors travelling through the Edo state have experienced the challenges posed by deteriorating roads.
Some of these roads connect with neighbouring states, being Edo the ‘Heart Beat of the Nation’.
It is therefore suffice to say that the failed portions of roads across the state did not begin with the administration of Gov. Monday Okpebholo.
As governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in 2024, Okpebholo recognised the scale of the problem and made the rehabilitation of roads one of his major campaign commitments. He promised to confront the state’s infrastructure deficit and improve road connectivity if elected governor.
In his inauguration speech at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium on Nov. 12, 2024, Okpebholo said: “Our policy to develop road infrastructure is targeted at constructing roads, drainages and bridges, to ease transportation for all.”
It is not surprising that since he assumed office, his commitment to road infrastructure has been monumental, evident in the administration’s focus on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of both state and federal roads.
His approach has been to address the practical needs of residents rather than dwelling on which level of government has responsibility for a particular road.
The administration began implementing that commitment almost immediately after taking office, with attention directed to some of the state’s most difficult road corridors.
Roads, drainages and bridges have remained central to the administration’s infrastructure agenda, with the broader objective of improving movement between rural and urban communities, strengthening economic activities and making it easier for residents to connect with neighbouring states.
He has towards this regard constructed and remodelled several road projects across Edo South, Edo Central and Edo North.
Some damaged sections have been rehabilitated, while others have undergone reconstruction. The interventions have improved access to communities and reduced some of the difficulties previously faced by motorists and other road users.
Notwithstanding, the administration’s road projects have also attracted criticism. Some critics have continued to circulate images and short videos showing failed sections of roads across the state, particularly on major federal corridors. While highlighting areas that still require attention is legitimate, such reports can create an incomplete picture when ongoing and completed interventions are left out.
A recent focus on damaged portions of the Benin-Agbor Road, for instance, has generated public debate over the condition of federal roads in the state. But the Benin-Agbor corridor is not the only major federal road in the state. I’m sure critics are aware that this administration has also intervened in other roads outside its direct statutory responsibility.
The Benin-Sapele Road provides an example.
For years, motorists using the road complained about its deplorable condition. Under the previous administration, the fact that the road is a federal road was frequently cited as a reason for the state’s limited involvement.
But the Okpebholo administration has adopted a different approach, arguing that irrespective of ownership, Edo residents are the people who use the road and bear the consequences when it becomes impassable.
The Edo State Government has therefore collaborated with the federal government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the rehabilitation of the road. More than 23 kilometres is being addressed with concrete pavement designed for long-term durability, with completed sections already providing relief to motorists.
For residents and businesses along the corridor, the intervention is about more than road construction. A functional road means shorter travel times, lower vehicle maintenance costs and easier movement of goods and people.
The Benin-Sapele Trunk A Road is also an important transportation corridor serving the economic interests of communities across Edo and the Niger Delta. Its rehabilitation therefore has implications beyond the immediate communities along the route.
Motorcycle riders and commercial drivers who previously spent significant amounts on repairs say the improved road has reduced their maintenance burden.
A motorcycle rider popularly known as an “okada rider,” Simeon Yohana, said the intervention had brought relief to riders who frequently repaired their motorcycles because of the poor condition of the road.
“I have been working here for some years now. The road was bad and we constantly repaired our bikes. But now, we don’t repair our bikes as often and we are able to take more money home,” he said.
A commercial driver, Michael Uweugbe, also commended the governor’s intervention.
“He has done very well on this road. The improvement cannot be compared with what we had before. The road is much better now,” he said.
Another road user, Osagie Isibor, recalled the difficulties motorists faced when the road was in poor condition.
According to him, the previous administration often reminded residents that the road belonged to the federal government.
“Governor Okpebholo came and, instead of making excuses, intervened. We are now enjoying the road,” he said.
Isibor, however, urged the state government to extend similar intervention to the Benin-Agbor Road.
“You could hardly drive on this road when it was bad. The governor’s intervention helped to solve the problem here. We are appealing to him to move to Benin-Agbor Road and do the same thing,” he said.
At the Ogheghe Motor Park on the Benin-Sapele Road bypass, the improvement in the road has also been welcomed by transport operators.
The park chairman, Faith Imadonmwinyi, said businesses had improved after years of difficulties caused by the poor state of the road.
“We are happy with the outcome of the Benin-Sapele Road. It is very motorable now compared with what we had before,” he said.
“About two years ago, the road was very bad and almost impossible to use. We had to pass through communities to avoid the bad sections to get to our destinations. Now the road is better, and we can drive with greater peace of mind.”
Beyond the Benin-Sapele corridor, the broader road challenge in Edo remains significant. The state has a large network of roads, including federal, state and local roads, and no single administration can address every failed section at once.
Parts of the metropolitan and state road network are being handled through state interventions, while federal authorities and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are also involved in the assessment and reconstruction of adjoining failed sections, including stretches around the Ologbo and Amukpe axes.
The road projects may not have solved every transportation challenge in Edo State, but the improvements already recorded on some major corridors demonstrate the potential impact of sustained investment in infrastructure.
The important point is that the condition of Edo’s roads should be assessed on the basis of both what remains to be done and those that have already been done.
That is the standard by which the Okpebholo administration’s road infrastructure programme should be judged.