The Southern Solidarity Alliance (SSA) has once again urged the Federal Government and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to urgently intervene and upgrade the Sagamu–Benin and Benin–Asaba Expressway, citing the persistent hardship faced by commuters and transporters on the strategic federal highway.
In a statement issued by the National Coordinator of the Alliance, Mr. Ndubuisi Okafor, the group, which advocates for the development of Southern Nigeria, decried the daily suffering motorists endure on the roads due to their deplorable condition.
The SSA described the dysfunctional sections of the expressway as “a national disgrace,” revealing that many passengers are forced to sleep overnight on the road, unable to complete what should be routine journeys.
“Why should a major road in Southern Nigeria be subjected to this level of neglect?” the group queried.
“What is the Honourable Minister of Works doing? Do travelers on this route know about President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda?”
The group expressed concern that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not given sufficient attention to the road despite its strategic economic and logistical importance.
SSA called on public officials and policymakers to travel the road themselves to witness firsthand the suffering of ordinary Nigerians—many of whom cannot afford the luxury of air travel and are left to battle dangerous road conditions daily.
“Why are we repeating the errors of the past by treating the East-West route with such disregard? This expressway records one of the highest traffic volumes in Nigeria, yet it is constantly ignored,” the group stated.
SSA further argued that what the road urgently requires is a complete upgrade, not continued neglect.
“The economy of the affected parts of Southern Nigeria is bleeding. Traffic that holds commuters for several hours is not just frustrating—it is deadly. When it becomes routine, it becomes a crisis.”
The statement strongly urged Minister Umahi to rise to the occasion, stressing that Nigerians have endured too many years of suffering on the Sagamu–Benin and Benin–Asaba corridors.
“We have had enough of the perennial problems on these roads. The Federal Government must upgrade the Sagamu–Benin and Benin–Asaba Expressway in the same standard as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway. That is the only way to end the recurring nightmare for travelers.”
Reporting by Innocent Onoh