In September 2021, Muhammad Aliyu, 58, embarked on a journey from Maiduguri to Goniri-Ngamdu, the capital of Borno State, with his 11-year-old granddaughter. Their trip, intended to attend a relative’s naming ceremony, turned tragic.
Midway through the journey, the vehicle transporting Mr Aliyu and other passengers along the Goniri-Ngamdu road collided with a truck while trying to avoid a pothole. The accident claimed a life, while Mr. Aliyu survived, his granddaughter tragically did not.
A year later, Mr. Aliyu reflects on the tragedy with sorrow, believing that if the road had been in better condition, his granddaughter might still be alive.
“This uncompleted road has caused many deaths in this community,” Mr Aliyu said, his face reflecting deep sadness.
The 58-year-old told DATAPHYTE that road accidents are not the only dangers commuters face on the Goniri-Ngamdu road; Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings are also rampant.
An Abandoned Road Project Claiming Lives
In 2018, the Federal Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing awarded the rehabilitation of the Gwazo-Damboa-Goniri-Ngamdu road, a 203 km stretch in Borno and Yobe States to Messrs Hajaig Construction (Nig.) Ltd.
The project, valued at NGN 5,191,242,777.38 and had a completion period of thirty-six months.
According to the progress report obtained from the ministry by Dataphyte, in the 2019 Budget, a total of N1.49 billion was allocated for the project, but only N250 million was disbursed to the contractor, reports from the supervising ministry indicated that only 0.86 per cent of the road had been constructed.
When Dataphyte visited the project site in May 2024, it was evident that the road construction had been abandoned and left incomplete.
The road appeared aged and worn, with some sections lacking gravel and others covered with gravel but riddled with potholes. No workers were present at the site during the visit.
The project was intended to facilitate easier transportation of goods and people between Maiduguri and Goniri-Ngamdu, but its abandonment has subjected residents and commuters to untold hardships.
Wavering hope and mounting frustration
Aisha Karuba, a 45-year-old fertiliser supplier from Goniri-Ngamdu, expressed her frustration regarding the delayed completion of the road project. She plies the road to Maiduguri once every week. The poor condition of the road causes her more stress and jeopardises her business, she said.
“There have been instances where I couldn’t travel back to Goniri-Ngamdu from Maiduguri. I have to sleep in the park until the next day because after 4:00 PM, no car is allowed to enter Goniri-Ngamdu, and the road is very bad,” she said.
Aisha adds that the delay in the road project is disheartening and drastically affecting her business.
“It’s disheartening to witness the negative impact of this project delay on the well-being of our community. The road conditions make it extremely challenging for the growth of my business.”
Another resident of Goniri-Ngamdu, Muhammed Awwal, who is 35 years old expressed his disappointment with the government. He explained how the unfinished road negatively affects his daily life and income.
“It’s been a real challenge. I’m a driver, and I rely on transporting passengers from Goniri-Ngamdu to Maiduguri market. But with the road in such poor condition, it’s almost impossible to drive through it twice a day because I spend many hours on the road. It’s affecting my income and my ability to provide for my family,” he said.
Similarly, Aminat Abubakar, a 53-year-old Maiduguri resident, expressed her disappointment in the government.
“I have family in Goniri-Ngamdu that I would like to visit, but the poor road condition discourages me from travelling, especially now that I’m older. The government should rehabilitate the road and save people from fatal accidents,” she said.
“The problem isn’t just the bad road; there are also frequent Boko Haram attacks, with cars being burned and people killed,” she added.
Road Casualties In Nigeria
The World Health Organisation (WHO), says approximately 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. It added that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.
According to the Road Transport Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that a total of 6,185 lives were lost to road accidents in Nigeria between Q1,2021 to Q4,2021.
Ministry Reacts
Mr. Amos Tongman, the Federal Controller of Works in Borno State, explained that insecurity is one of the challenges hindering project execution in Maiduguri. Inflation is another significant challenge facing the country.
He noted that the contractor handling the project had been directed to resume work on the road.
“The Federal Government spent about N169.88 billion on road construction and rehabilitation across the country’s six geopolitical zones in 2020 alone. The figure was detailed in the 2020 Appropriation Bill that former President Muhammadu Buhari presented to the National Assembly,” he said.
Mr Tongman also explained, “Interestingly, the new administration has set up a panel to review abandoned projects and ensure their completion. I assure you that the contractor will return to the site soon to continue the work,”
Efforts to reach Engr. Abbas Hajaig, Managing Director of Hajaig Construction (Nig.) Ltd, for comments were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or messages at the time of compiling this report.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, Isah Musa, spoke on the legal implications of the delay in the completion of the project.
He explained, “there is a law that guides and regulates public procurement and once it is violated from both sides, there are penalties provided by the law.
“Where the delay is caused by the employer, invariably the contractor should be entitled to an extension of time for completion. If the delay is caused by the contractor, the employer is entitled to claim extra costs and inconveniences arising therefrom against the contractor.”