(Ecofin Agency) - Nigeria plans in its 2021 draft budget to invest N38 billion (about $100 million) for the maintenance of federal roads. This is only 9.5% of the budget needed for such a project according to the Chairman of the senate committee for road maintenance, Senator Gershom Bassey (pictured).

The official believes that to make the country's 35,000 kilometers of federal roads passable at all times, 400 billion naira [$1.05 billion, ed] is needed annually for maintenance. “This amount (N38 billion, ed) cannot cover up to one-quarter of the entire length of deplorable roads in the country,” he said.

Senator Gershom called on the government to increase the amount dedicated for road maintenance for upcoming years. “If the roads are well maintained every year, reconstruction and rehabilitation which require bigger amounts of money and years to carry out may not be necessary as frequently as they are now,” he said.

Romuald Ngueyap