N’Delta Monarchs, HOSCON Demand Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention Over Collapsed Federal Roads
By Dr Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Traditional rulers say deplorable highways are hurting commuters, businesses and regional economy
The Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCON) Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council of Nigeria has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the worsening condition of federal roads across the South-South region.
The Council expressed concern that several major highways linking communities and states across the Niger Delta have deteriorated severely, creating enormous hardship for commuters, transport operators, businesses and other road users.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, His Royal Majesty King Obukowho Monday A. Whiskey, JP, Ph.D., Udurhie I, the Ovie of the Great Oil and Gas-Rich Idjerhe Kingdom, the Council said the situation had become increasingly unbearable.
The Council argued that the South-South region deserves urgent and sustained infrastructure attention, particularly because of its strategic importance to Nigeria’s oil and gas economy, maritime activities, agriculture and commerce.
HOSCON: South-South roads have become a major economic burden
According to the Council, virtually all major federal highways connecting communities across the South-South are experiencing varying degrees of deterioration.
It said the condition of the roads has resulted in prolonged journeys, increased transportation costs, vehicle damage and significant losses for businesses operating across the region.
The Council further warned that bad roads do not only affect transportation but also undermine economic productivity and the movement of agricultural produce, petroleum-related products, manufactured goods and other essential commodities.
Recent reporting on the statement similarly quoted the Council as saying that journeys that should ordinarily take a few hours can now take several hours or, in extreme circumstances, days because of failed sections of major highways. (TheNewsGuru)
Major South-South corridors under pressure
The concerns raised by HOSCON extend across several important transportation corridors in the region.
The organisation has previously identified the corridor linking Benin City through Sapele, Warri, Ughelli, Bayelsa, Port Harcourt, Oron, Uyo and Calabar as requiring deliberate federal intervention.
In January 2026, HOSCON leadership similarly called for a comprehensive road, rail and water transportation programme for the Niger Delta, arguing that improved connectivity would make movement of people and goods easier across the region. (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
The East-West Road remains particularly significant because of its connection to major industrial, petroleum and maritime facilities.
The Eleme-Onne axis, for instance, serves the Federal Ocean Terminal, Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone and the wider industrial area, making its condition particularly important to the regional and national economy. Radio Nigeria previously reported that motorists had faced lengthy delays on the badly deteriorated corridor. (Radio NIgeria South South Zone)
“Our people are suffering despite maintaining peace”
The HOSCON Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council also expressed concern that traditional institutions in the Niger Delta have continued to contribute to maintaining peace and stability in their respective communities.
The Council questioned why communities that have continued to support peaceful coexistence and the operations of businesses and industries should simultaneously endure infrastructure conditions that make everyday life increasingly difficult.
The traditional rulers stressed that development and peace must go together.
Their position is that government cannot expect sustainable peace and economic productivity in the Niger Delta without addressing the infrastructure deficit confronting the region.
HOSCON demands urgent federal mobilisation
The Council is calling for immediate intervention rather than continued reliance on temporary repairs.
It wants the Federal Government to mobilise competent and financially capable contractors to undertake comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction of severely damaged federal highways.
The Council also wants road projects to be properly supervised to ensure that public funds produce durable infrastructure.
This is significant because road failures in the Niger Delta are often influenced not only by traffic volume but also by flooding, wetlands, weak soils and other environmental conditions.
The Federal Ministry of Works has itself acknowledged the peculiar engineering challenges posed by the Niger Delta environment.
In its earlier explanation of the East-West Road redesign, the Ministry said reinforced-concrete technology was being adopted in some sections and that the road profile was being raised above flood levels to address recurring pavement failures associated with the region’s soil and geomorphology. (Federal Ministry of Works)
Federal Government has approved major South-South road projects
While HOSCON’s concerns highlight the hardship still being experienced by road users, there are also ongoing and recently approved federal interventions that should form part of the conversation.
In August 2026, the Federal Executive Council approved funding that included N74.51 billion for the upgrade of the East-West Road linking Port Harcourt to the Onne Port Junction in Rivers State. (Punch Newspapers)
The Federal Government has also previously listed several major South-South projects, including the Eleme-Onne Road, East-West Road Section 2, Nembe-Brass Road, Lokoja-Benin dualisation, the Bodo-Bonny Road and other strategic corridors. (Ministry of Information)
The Ministry of Works also recently announced that President Tinubu had approved the dualisation of the 8.9-kilometre Bodo-Bonny connection to the East-West Road, including two flyovers and other infrastructure. (Federal Ministry of Works)
These projects demonstrate that federal intervention exists on paper and, in some locations, on the ground. The central concern now is whether the projects will be adequately funded, properly supervised and completed within reasonable timelines.
The challenge of maintenance
HOSCON’s demand also raises a broader question about Nigeria’s road maintenance culture.
Road infrastructure should not ordinarily be allowed to deteriorate until complete reconstruction becomes necessary.
Preventive maintenance, proper drainage, routine inspections and timely repairs can significantly reduce the eventual cost of reconstruction.
The HOSCON Council has therefore argued for a consistent maintenance framework rather than a system where authorities respond only after roads have become almost impassable. (TheNewsGuru)
Why the South-South road crisis matters to Nigeria
The road crisis in the Niger Delta should not be viewed exclusively as a regional problem.
The South-South hosts major oil and gas operations, seaports, industrial facilities, agricultural communities and commercial centres that contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy.
When roads connecting these locations fail, the consequences spread beyond the communities immediately affected.
Transport costs increase.
Travel time increases.
Vehicle operating costs rise.
Goods become more expensive.
Businesses lose working hours.
Emergency services face difficulties reaching communities.
Farmers struggle to move produce to markets.
And the cost of doing business rises across the entire supply chain.
For this reason, investment in South-South infrastructure should be considered an investment in Nigeria’s overall economic productivity.
HOSCON’s wider call for South-South infrastructure development
The Council’s latest position is also consistent with previous calls by HOSCON for broader infrastructure development in the Niger Delta.
In January 2026, the organisation called for the resuscitation and full utilisation of seaports including Sapele, Warri, Burutu, Koko, Onne and the Deep Ibom Port, arguing that functional ports could create jobs and reduce pressure on the region’s roads. (Independent Newspaper Nigeria)
The Council has also advocated greater involvement of traditional rulers and host communities in addressing development and security challenges in the region.
Its argument is that traditional institutions remain closely connected to communities and can contribute significantly to maintaining peace and facilitating development.
Editorial Insight: The South-South cannot live on promises forever
The concerns raised by HOSCON deserve serious attention.
The South-South does not need sympathy; it needs infrastructure that works.
For decades, communities across the Niger Delta have watched major highways deteriorate while trucks carrying petroleum products, agricultural commodities and other goods struggle through roads that are often inadequate for the traffic they carry.
At the same time, the Federal Government has announced billions of naira in road projects across the region.
The critical issue, therefore, is no longer simply whether government has announced projects.
The real question is: When will the people experience the completed projects?
A road approval is not a road.
A budget allocation is not a motorable highway.
A contract award is not a completed bridge.
What Nigerians need is infrastructure that can be used safely and efficiently.
The Federal Government deserves recognition for projects that are genuinely completed and delivered to specification. But equally, government must be held accountable for projects that remain delayed, poorly executed or repeatedly reconstructed without lasting solutions.
For the Niger Delta, the engineering solution must also reflect the region’s unique environmental realities.
Roads built in flood-prone and wetland areas require appropriate designs, quality materials, effective drainage and continuous maintenance. Simply resurfacing a failed road without addressing the underlying causes of failure will only create another cycle of expenditure.
Traditional rulers, host communities, civil society organisations, contractors and government agencies should therefore work together to establish transparent monitoring mechanisms for major infrastructure projects.
The people deserve to know:
How much was budgeted?
Who received the contract?
When will the project be completed?
How much has been released?
What percentage has been completed?
And who is responsible if the project fails?
These are legitimate questions in a democracy.
The South-South contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economic life. Its people should not have to choose between dangerous roads and unbearable transportation costs simply to move between neighbouring communities.
The call by HOSCON’s traditional rulers should therefore be treated as an opportunity for the Federal Government to demonstrate that infrastructure development in the Niger Delta is not merely a political promise but a measurable commitment.
Conclusion
The HOSCON Traditional Rulers and Elders Advisory Council has once again placed the condition of South-South roads before the Federal Government and called for urgent intervention.
With existing federal projects and new approvals already announced, attention should now shift from promises to implementation, completion and maintenance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has an opportunity to transform some of the region’s most critical transportation corridors into durable economic infrastructure.
For the people of the Niger Delta, the expectation is simple:
Let the roads work. Let businesses move. Let communities connect. And let development reach the people.
Global Egberi Media International Ltd will continue to monitor developments concerning federal roads and other critical infrastructure across the Niger Delta.
By Dr Odimientimi Agbedeyi
Global Egberi Media International Ltd
GlobalEgberiTV Ofunama
Website: Global Egberi Media
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