President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to adopt a preventive, planned, and evidence-based approach to road maintenance to improve the condition and lifespan of federal roads.

Mr Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, gave the directive on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 2026 Roads Summit with the theme “Sustainable Road Infrastructure for National Growth.”

The president also tasked the agency to develop a comprehensive, georeferenced national database of failed and failing federal roads.

The database, he said, should clearly identify the causes of road failures, whether arising from design limitations, poor construction quality, axle overloading, drainage challenges, climate impacts, or maintenance lapses.

He called for a shift from reactive road repairs to a sustainable, preventive, and evidence-based maintenance framework, stressing that long-term infrastructure resilience depended on accurate data and institutional coordination.

”In this regard, I wish to emphasise the strategic importance of systematic road audits and robust data management. Sustainable infrastructure management begins with knowing the true condition of our assets.

“Another important factor is that FERMA must continue to strengthen routine road condition audits, safety audits, and post-failure assessments across the federal road network.

“More importantly, the development of a comprehensive, geo-referenced national database of failed and failing federal roads is imperative.

“With accurate and up-to-date data, Nigeria can move decisively from emergency repairs to predictive and preventive maintenance planning,’” he said.

The president added that a credible road asset database would enhance budgeting accuracy, prioritisation of interventions, contractor accountability, and research collaboration with institutions such as the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI).

He added that it would also align Nigeria with global best practices in road asset management, where infrastructure decisions are guided by lifecycle costing, performance indicators, and resilience standards.

According to the president, Nigeria, under his leadership, is witnessing unprecedented inclusive investments in road infrastructure, driven by a commitment to quality, durability, and value for money.

He, however, said that building new roads was only half the responsibility of governance, adding that the other half, equally critical, was maintaining and preserving what was built.

“Sustainable road maintenance is not an option; it is a compelling necessity. Without it, today’s investments become tomorrow’s liabilities.

“A sustainable road maintenance framework must be preventive rather than reactive, planned rather than ad-hoc, and driven by evidence rather than assumptions,” he said.

Tinubu also called on FERMA to strengthen collaboration with the Ministry of Works and strengthen routine road condition audits, safety audits, and post-failure assessments across the federal road network.

In his remarks, the minister of state for works, Bello Goronyo, said road transport remained Nigeria’s dominant mode of mobility, handling over 90 per cent of both passenger and goods movement.

Mr Goronyo, however, lamented that road abuse remains a critical challenge, citing overloading, reckless driving, and unauthorised road use, which he said shorten the lifespan of investments.

He said that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, infrastructure has been repositioned as a primary driver of national security and economic stability.

“Mr President’s mandate is clear: we are building a $1 trillion economy, and that economy cannot run on failed roads,” he said.

Earlier, the managing director of FERMA, Emeka Agbasi, stated that sustainable road infrastructure requires a shift from short-term, reactive interventions to long-term, lifecycle-based planning.

Mr Agbasi added that evidence from within Nigeria clearly showed that improved road access would lead to higher household incomes, better access to social services, and more inclusive economic development.

(NAN)