The Minister of State for Works, Mohammad Goronyo, has raised concerns about the insufficient budgetary allocation to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), emphasizing the agency’s critical role in maintaining and repairing the nation’s federal roads.
Goronyo disclosed that the agency requires over N700 billion annually to effectively manage the country’s vast network of federal roads, yet the current budget proposal falls far short of this figure.
During the budget defense session before the joint Senate and House Committees on FERMA, Goronyo presented the agency’s 2025 budget proposal of N64.88 billion, which includes N4.9 billion for personnel costs, N33.468 billion for overhead costs, and N26.487 billion for capital expenditures. This proposal is lower than the N77 billion requested for the previous year.
Goronyo pointed out that the allocation for FERMA under the 2024 budget was N96.7 billion, which was later increased to N103.3 billion by President Muhammadu Buhari. However, only N41.282 billion was released by the Accountant-General of the Federation, with N40.287 billion already utilized. Despite these efforts, Goronyo lamented that the annual budget for road maintenance is still inadequate to address the immense task of maintaining the country’s federal road infrastructure.
“The yearly budget allocation to the agency is grossly inadequate to cater to the enormous task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of federal roads, which will require over N700 billion annually,” Goronyo stated. He called on the committee to support FERMA in securing increased financial support to enhance preventive maintenance and promote sustainable road maintenance practices.
Goronyo also highlighted the agency’s efforts to develop and redefine policies aimed at generating additional resources for road maintenance. He expressed gratitude to the committees for their ongoing support in ensuring the sustainable development of the nation’s infrastructure in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to enhance infrastructure and transportation as key drivers of economic growth.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA, Hussaini Babangida, voiced concerns about the trend of prioritizing the construction of new roads over the maintenance of existing ones. Babangida pointed out that the committee was surprised by the proposed budgetary allocation, questioning why so much focus is placed on new road construction while the maintenance of current infrastructure receives insufficient attention. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to road management, urging all stakeholders to collaborate on finding lasting solutions to the ongoing issue of underfunding in road maintenance.
Goronyo’s comments underscore the growing urgency for adequate funding and policy reforms to ensure the sustainability of Nigeria’s federal roads, which are crucial for the movement of people, goods, and services across the country.
