The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on the federal government to focus on rehabilitating Nigeria’s deteriorating roads rather than initiating new projects.
Obi made this appeal in a post on X following the tragic tanker explosion on the Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State on February 28, 2025, which claimed over 60 lives.
According to reports, the accident involved a petrol tanker carrying 33,000 litres of fuel and a truck loaded with fertilizer. The collision resulted in a fuel spill, leading to a massive fire.
Obi attributed the high rate of road accidents in Nigeria to the poor state of road infrastructure and urged the government to take immediate action.
The Former Anambra State governor stated, “The tragic collision on February 28, 2025, along the Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State, which claimed over 60 lives, is a heartbreaking reminder of the urgent need to prioritize the reconstruction of existing road infrastructure across the country, improve road safety, and regulate the transportation of hazardous materials, rather than embarking on new road infrastructure that might never be completed.”
Obi lamented the “alarming frequency” of road traffic accidents and urged the government to take decisive action to curb further loss of lives.
“I recently visited the site in Suleja, where over 100 people were burnt—a tragedy resulting from the poor state of the roads,” Obi added.
Obi also cited other recent road tragedies, including a fire incident in Suleja that claimed over 100 lives and a trip to Kafanchan, where he spent more than three hours navigating what he described as “death-trap roads.”
Expressing condolences to the victims’ families, Obi called for collective efforts to advocate for safer roads across the country.
“As we mourn this loss, I extend my condolences to the families and the people of Kwara State. May God grant eternal rest to the departed and comfort to their grieving loved ones,” he said.
He emphasised that ensuring safer roads requires collective responsibility and commitment to preventing further tragedies.
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