Kogi Assembly Demands Urgent Action on Lokoja–Abuja Road, Calls It a National Lifeline in Ruins

By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja

Kogi State lawmakers have raised the alarm over the worsening state of the Lokoja–Koton Karfe–Abuja highway, describing it as a “national lifeline in ruins” and urging the Federal Government to immediately remobilize contractors to site before more lives are lost.
The call, made through a resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly, reflects growing frustration across communities and motorists who ply the corridor daily. The road, a major gateway linking the North and South, has suffered years of abandonment despite its strategic importance to trade, security, and national mobility.
Leading the charge, Hon. Idrees Aliyu Maikudi (APC–Koton Karfe), who sponsored the motion, said the unending construction delays have turned what should be a federal pride into a symbol of neglect.
“This road is no longer a project — it’s a tragedy. Every day, motorists face deaths, gridlocks, and heartbreak on this route. The situation is unbearable,” he said.
Maikudi’s motion, which drew unanimous support, also urged Kogi’s federal lawmakers to escalate the issue in Abuja and ensure that adequate funds are captured in the 2026 national budget to complete all pending federal projects in the state.
The House further called on the Minister of Works and Housing to hold the contractor accountable, insisting that progress on the road has been too slow to justify years of budgetary allocations.
In an additional motion, Hon. Bode Ogunmola (PDP–Ogori/Magongo) called for the immediate removal of all artificial barriers on the road to ease the agony of road users.
But it was Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba (APC–Ibaji) who gave the debate its moral weight, saying the road’s collapse is an indictment of governance failure.
“This is not just about Kogi; this is about Nigeria. That road connects the capital to six or seven states. Every pothole on that highway represents danger to lives and the economy. If nothing is done, it will only get worse,” she warned.
The Assembly’s resolution, adopted unanimously, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit copies to the Minister of Works and all National Assembly members from Kogi State for urgent legislative action.
The Lokoja–Abuja expressway remains one of Nigeria’s most economically vital yet perilous corridors, frequently cited in accident and insecurity reports. Experts say the prolonged delay in completing the project reflects deeper issues of contract inconsistency, weak oversight, and poor intergovernmental coordination between the federal and state authorities.
For commuters, however, the politics of delay has human costs. Many have lost relatives, livelihoods, and time to the gridlock that now defines the route.
As one lawmaker put it bluntly on the floor of the House:
“The road no longer needs promises — it needs bulldozers.”