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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The National Assembly has commended the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for the improvement in the quality and speed of federal road maintenance nationwide, even as it called for enhanced funding to strengthen the agency’s operations.
The commendation came during the joint sitting of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on FERMA, where the agency defended its 2025 budget performance and presented its 2026 budget proposal.
Presenting the proposal, Minister of State for works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, disclosed that FERMA’s 2026 budget estimate stands at ₦229.99 billion, with ₦191.47 billion earmarked for capital expenditure.
He explained that the figure includes the rollover of 70 per cent of ongoing 2025 capital projects, covering 336 projects — 291 road works and 75 non-road interventions, including street lighting and allied infrastructure.
According to him, ₦91.47 billion, representing 70 per cent funding for the rolled-over projects, has been captured in the 2026 fiscal framework, adding that the projects are evenly spread across the states to promote equitable infrastructure development. Goronyo further disclosed that personnel costs in the 2026 proposal stand at ₦5.06 billion, while overhead expenditure is projected at ₦33.47 billion.
While affirming that FERMA has the technical expertise to deliver on its mandate, the minister identified poor and irregular funding as the agency’s biggest challenge.
He stressed the need to harmonise the national budget cycle with procurement processes to allow contractors fully utilise the dry season, warning that delays often undermine project timelines and inflate costs.
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Goronyo also appealed to lawmakers for sustained legislative backing to strengthen FERMA’s capacity, especially following the repeal of the 5 per cent user charge on petrol and diesel under the 2017 FERMA Amendment Act.
He noted that the charge has now been replaced with a 5 per cent fossil fuel surcharge under Section 159 of the 2025 National Tax Act, expressing optimism that FERMA would be captured in the revenue-sharing template under the new tax regime.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Yau (Zamfara North), described road infrastructure as the backbone of Nigeria’s economic development, stressing that sustainable road maintenance is central to national growth.
“Roads remain the primary artery of our economy. They connect rural productivity to urban markets. Once they fail, food inflation rises and the misery index deepens,” he said.
Yau added that strategic road maintenance should be viewed as a social investment in security, job creation and economic stability, noting that Nigeria’s aspiration for a one-trillion-dollar economy would remain elusive without functional transport infrastructure.
Similarly, Chairman of the House Committee on FERMA, Aremi Oseni, commended the agency for the quality of work observed during oversight visits, describing recent interventions as “significantly improved and impactful.”
The lawmakers assured FERMA of continued legislative support and collaboration to secure improved funding and enhance performance in the maintenance of federal roads nationwide.
