The N38 billion Nasarawa-Oweto-Otukpo Federal Road in Benue State has experienced severe structural failure just three years after it was commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Gistcon, huge chunks of the road have given way and are now inaccessible.
Conceived as a vital alternative corridor to shorten travel times, increase trade, and open up rural communities, the road connects Nasarawa, Oweto, Agatu, and Otukpo and links Benue State to the eastern half of the country.
18 and up. It is now deserted, badly dilapidated, and mostly shunned by drivers.
Gistcon visited the corridor and found numerous portions that had deteriorated, with asphalt peeling off, shoulders caving in, and erosion carving deep channels across the carriageway.
Drivers must weave around neighbouring bushes to avoid sections that have collapsed, while some sections are totally impassable.
Concerns over the drainage design and execution were heightened when multiple culverts were discovered to be either exposed or damaged.
This writer noticed that the road, which is strategically important, was mostly empty when they were travelling along it, especially between Agatu and Otukpo and from Oweto to Nasarawa State.
According to the investigation, the road’s collapse occurred at the same time as a precipitous drop in traffic due to the corridor’s escalating insecurity.
Prioritising safety over convenience, most commuters now elect to take the lengthier Makurdi-Otukpo route instead of using the road altogether. Road deterioration was hastened by large automobiles.
According to additional findings by Gistcon, the road’s quick degradation was greatly accelerated by the large number of articulated vehicles that arrived soon after it was finished.
Reports indicate that numerous long-haul trucks and trailers abandoned the Lokoja route once the Otukpo-Oweto Road was commissioned, opting instead to use the shorter route to reach the eastern region of Nigeria and Benue State.
The road, which locals and transportation workers worry wasn’t built to support such constant axle loads, was suddenly overwhelmed by a large number of trucks and tankers, putting a tremendous strain on the infrastructure.
An experienced commercial driver named Enoch Adagboyi made the following statement: Trailers and tankers dominated the area once the road was opened. The surface began to crack shortly after.
According to experts, the pavement and sub-base layers failed faster due to the unregulated operation of overloaded vehicles caused by the lack of operational weighbridges and axle-load enforcement along the corridor.
These large trucks have now turned their backs on the Otukpo-Oweto axis and are heading instead towards Makurdi due to the deteriorating road conditions and increasing levels of insecurity. Traffickers flee as kidnappings and violence force them to
The road has been deserted for several reasons, including structural breakdown, regular kidnappings, and armed attacks along nearby corridors.
Six people were allegedly kidnapped in November 2025 while travelling on the road between Ogobia and Adoka.
Security sources have verified the existence of criminal hideouts in the surrounding wooded areas, and there have been several reports of ambushes along routes connecting Otukpo, Agatu, Adoka, and Ogobia.
Because of the widespread panic these instances have caused among drivers, transportation unions, and even road maintenance employees, maintaining the road on a regular basis has become next to impossible.
Angry drivers say the road is dangerous: Commercial drivers voiced their dissatisfaction with the road’s fate in an interview with Gistcon.
The route began to collapse at an early stage,” driver Joseph Onche claimed. The kidnappers put an end to its use even before the crisis got bad. At this time, it is neither safe nor motorable.
Our spirits were lifted when it was turned on, as another driver put it. It appears the money was frittered away now.
Agatu farmers and merchants have also noticed a dramatic decline in business activity as a result of the lack of foot traffic.
“Before, vehicles passed here every day,” remarked Margaret Ichalefu, a local. Produce, seafood, and other foods were on sale. The path is now deserted.
The residents also voiced their displeasure with the growing difficulty in accessing healthcare, schools, and emergency services. Quality and oversight are being questioned by experts.
Professionals in the field of infrastructure have voiced grave concerns over the rapid failure of a road worth N38 billion.
The early collapse, according to civil engineer Simon Adakole, who spoke with DAILY POST, could be due to inadequate oversight, poor drainage, low-quality materials, or flawed design.
He asserted that, even without extensive maintenance, a road of that price should endure for more than three years. Federal authorities and contractors remain silent
Despite the fact that the Otukpo-Oweto Road is under the purview of the federal government, neither the Federal Ministry of Works nor the contractors have provided a thorough public explanation.
Israeli company Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) Nigeria Limited was the main contractor on the Loko-Oweto Bridge and the roads leading to and from it. The project was granted approval in November 2011. It will link the states of Nasarawa and Benue by crossing the River Benue.
Multiple calls to the contractors’ main office went unanswered, so we will have to try again later.
In a similar vein, multiple attempts to solicit feedback from Engr. Agbasi, Managing Director/CEO Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), were unsuccessful. FERMA, gaps in maintenance, and security restrictions
Experts also pointed fingers at the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for not acting quickly enough, suggesting that security concerns may have led to the agency’s decision to disregard early warning signs.
Erosion, vandalism, and a lack of regular inspection cause abandoned highways to deteriorate faster, according to security experts.
A pricey representation of infrastructure breakdown
The Otukpo-Oweto road collapse has served as a sobering reminder to the people of Benue South of the consequences of poor infrastructure planning and a lack of responsibility.