Peter Obi Expresses Concern Over Nigeria’s Deteriorating Roads: “What Should Have Been a 3-Hour Trip Took 7 Hours”

Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra State, expressed his dissatisfaction with the poor condition of Nigerian roads after a tiring journey from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Anyigba in Kogi State. What should have been a three-hour drive turned into a challenging seven-hour experience, leading Obi to reiterate the need for immediate government action to repair the roads.continue Reading>>>

In a post on X on Saturday, Obi shared his travel ordeal, which reinforced his long-standing appeal for all levels of government to focus on repairing and completing existing road projects instead of starting new ones that may end up unfinished. He pointed out that Nigeria is already grappling with numerous incomplete road projects throughout the country, making travel increasingly difficult.

“On October 15th, I made the trip from Onitsha to Anyigba, which typically takes three and a half hours but stretched to over seven hours. The roads through Obollo Afor, Otukpa Branch, Ejule, and Anyigba were in terrible condition,” Obi stated. “On my return, we took a different route through Ogugu and Enugu-Ezike, leaving Kogi at 2:00 p.m. and not arriving back until around 9:00 p.m., all for just a 30-minute meeting.

”Obi went on to recount several other challenging road trips he had faced this year. A journey from Calabar to Uyo, expected to take an hour, ended up taking four hours. His route from Port Harcourt to Bayelsa, which was supposed to continue via the East-West Road to Warri, became hazardous. The drives from Warri to Benin and Abuja to Kaduna were similarly problematic, with the Kaduna bypass alone adding an extra two hours to his travel time.continue Reading>>>

“I understand that these issues won’t be resolved instantly,” Obi said, “but I urge that there should be a strong commitment to reducing the suffering of Nigerians on the roads. Instead of initiating new projects, let’s concentrate our efforts on fixing the ones we have and improving the commuting experience for everyone.

”Obi’s comments come at a time when millions of Nigerians are experiencing similar challenges on deteriorating roads across the country, where the state of infrastructure continues to be a significant source of frustration and risk.