Civil society organization Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole to urgently set aside political rivalries and declare an infrastructure emergency on the collapsed Benin–Sapele–Warri highway.
The demand was issued in the inaugural edition of The Common Good Letter, a monthly public accountability publication released in July 2026 by ANEEJ and made available to journalists in Kaduna.
In the publication, signed by ANEEJ Executive Director Rev. David Ugolor, the group described the deteriorating corridor as a grave threat to life, economic activity, and security across the Niger Delta.
“This is no longer just a road maintenance problem. It is a public safety emergency, an economic crisis, and a governance failure,” Ugolor stated.
The civil society advocate highlighted that the highway’s state of total decay has turned it into a hotspot for violent crimes, exposing stranded motorists to kidnappings and armed attacks.
Ugolor questioned why the region continues to suffer despite repeated funding allocations through the Federal Ministry of Works and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). He noted that with the All Progressives Congress (APC) leading the Federal Government alongside Edo Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo and Delta Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the political alignment presents an unprecedented window for action.
To tackle the corridor’s collapse, ANEEJ outlined a five-point emergency framework:
Joint Declaration & Task Force: Edo and Delta State governors should jointly declare an infrastructure emergency and establish a high-level intervention task force with the Federal Ministry of Works.
Presidential Oversight: Accelerated intervention directed by the Presidency to cut through bureaucracy and secure funding.
Transparency: Public disclosure of all contracts, budgets, and project timelines managed by the Ministry of Works and the NDDC.
Civil Society Monitoring: Independent oversight involving transport unions, engineers, local leaders, and CSOs.
Immediate Relief: Urgent palliative repairs, street lighting, traffic controls, and security patrols while major reconstruction is underway.
Addressing top federal lawmakers from the region, Ugolor appealed directly to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole to unite behind the East-West Road—a project that has dragged on for over two decades.
“The people are not asking who is winning political arguments in Abuja. They are asking when the East-West Road will finally be finished,” Ugolor urged, calling for a bipartisan East-West Road Emergency Initiative to guarantee completion deadlines and full financial accountability
