Trailer drivers decry deplorable Bida–Lambata highway in Niger

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna

Heavy-duty vehicle drivers plying the critical Bida–Agaie–Lapai–Lambata highway in Niger State have expressed profound frustration over the gridlocks caused by the deplorable state of the road, revealing that a single transit now frequently traps them for over a week.
The strategic route serves as a primary economic artery linking the northern and southern regions of Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists at the Bida–Badeggi axis—where he had already been stranded for two days—Malam Dauda Ciroma, a driver with A.Y.M. Shafa Holdings Limited, lamented that the vital corridor has suffered systemic neglect from successive administrations.
Ciroma argued that given Niger State’s status as the gateway between the North and the South-West, its federal road networks deserve immediate intervention.
“The Federal Government is losing millions of naira daily due to the recurring gridlock that has plagued this axis for over three years.
“The Niger State Government should also consider taking over the rehabilitation of these critical corridors and later seek compensation from the federal government to reduce our hardship,” Ciroma said.
He further urged the Federal Government to compel contractors back to the site, noting that the project had long been approved but effectively abandoned.
Echoing similar grievances, another tanker driver, Malam Abubakar Bello, described the situation on the highway as pathetic.
According to Bello, drivers frequently spend days stationary, which leads to heavy financial losses due to inflated feeding expenses and unexpected mechanical breakdowns.
He also warned that the current state of the road has led to an alarming rise in avoidable accidents, resulting in the loss of lives and valuable cargo.
The contract for the Lambata–Mokwa highway has a long history of staggered execution across multiple administrations.
It was gathered that the remaining stretch of less than 50 kilometers connecting Bida to Lapai has been completely abandoned, creating the current bottleneck for interstate commerce.