Benin-Ore Road Is Blocked, Traders Are Stranded for Days, Yet Tinubu and Umahi Are Pouring Billions Into Coastal Highway Nobody Is Using

The Benin-Ore Expressway is one of Nigeria’s most vital economic corridors. It is the lifeline that connects the South-West to the South-South and South-East, carrying traders, goods, petroleum products and passengers across the country every single day. But today, that lifeline is broken. Hundreds of motorists and commuters were left stranded for several hours after severe flooding submerged a section of the Benin-Ore-Ijebu Ode Expressway in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, disrupting traffic and forcing many travellers to seek alternative routes. The flooding followed hours of heavy rainfall that also affected several communities, including Ondo town, Odigbo, Irele, Ode-Aye and Igbokoda, where homes and vehicles were submerged. A resident of Ore said many drivers who were familiar with the area diverted through the Okitipupa-Akinfosile-Omotosho route to reconnect with the expressway, although the alternative route significantly increased travel time. A commercial driver, Joshua Oladele, described the incident as a traumatic experience and urged the government to take urgent steps to prevent a recurrence. “Everyone was stuck. No one imagined that this highway would be this affected by floods. An urgent intervention is needed before more havoc is wreaked,” he said.

But the flooding is only part of the problem. The Benin-Ore corridor has been in a state of decay for years, with failed sections forcing drivers to slow down, creating bottlenecks that expose travellers to kidnapping and armed robbery. Residents have called for urgent reconstruction of major federal roads in the state, saying their poor condition is contributing to insecurity and exposing travellers to criminal attacks. A commercial bus driver on the Benin-Auchi route said that although the road had become slightly better compared to previous years, several failed portions still compelled drivers to reduce speed significantly. According to him, such locations can become criminal flashpoints, particularly during periods of low traffic or at night. “Anytime vehicles are forced to crawl, passengers naturally become worried about security,” he said.

The Asaba-Benin Road, another strategic corridor linking the South-East and South-South to Lagos, has also deteriorated badly, causing persistent traffic gridlock, increasing transportation costs and imposing severe hardship on commuters, businesses and transport operators. Peter Obi has repeatedly warned that several highways linking commercial centres and food-producing communities had deteriorated into death traps, and that neglecting such roads in favour of prestige projects was neither economically prudent nor people-centred. Obi has urged the Federal Government to suspend the construction of new roads and prioritise the rehabilitation of existing highways across the country, arguing that repairing and maintaining existing roads would have a greater impact on the economy than announcing new infrastructure projects while critical highways remain impassable.

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But instead of fixing the Benin-Ore Road and other crumbling highways, President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Works David Umahi are pouring billions of naira into the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700-kilometre project that critics say Nigeria cannot afford and does not need. The Federal Government has consistently defended the project, but it has attracted criticism from opposition politicians, activists and other stakeholders, who have questioned its cost, execution and timing. Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke described the project as a misplaced priority, arguing that Nigeria cannot afford the multi-billion-naira infrastructure project amid pressing challenges in electricity, healthcare and education. Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal called the project a “scam”. The project has also generated controversy over the demolition of structures along its route, with affected communities and property owners raising concerns about the development.

Peter Obi has drawn a direct parallel between Tinubu’s recent advice to state governors and the Federal Government’s own actions. Obi noted that while the President recently cautioned state governors against constructing unnecessary flyovers, the Federal Government was equally pursuing unrealistic and costly projects while many major highways remain in deplorable condition. Obi said the President’s admonition should not be limited to state governments and that the Federal Government should apply the same advice to itself.

The logic that powers governance in Nigeria is total ghetto. Billions are being pumped into a coastal road that experts warn may not even survive rising sea levels, while the Benin-Ore Road and other critical trade routes have been abandoned. Traders who rely on these roads to move goods from the South-South and South-East to Lagos and beyond are stranded for days. Travelers are sleeping on the highway. Businesses are losing money. Lives are at risk. And yet Tinubu and Umahi continue to celebrate a road that nobody is using, while the roads Nigerians actually depend on crumble into nothing.

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