A five-day gridlock on major roads across Nigeria’s South-South has disrupted businesses, stranded commuters and left thousands of trucks carrying essential goods trapped for days.
The crisis, particularly along the Benin-Sapele-Effurun Road, has reportedly cost manufacturers more than N500 billion, with factories unable to receive raw materials or distribute finished products.
The figure excludes losses suffered by traders and distributors as perishable goods remain stuck on the roads and risk spoiling before reaching their destinations.
Videos circulating on social media show stranded commuters abandoning vehicles and trekking long distances, while commercial motorcycles have become a major means of escaping the gridlock.
Truck operators have reportedly spent up to a week on the affected routes, with some consignments already damaged or spoiled.
The disruption has spread across Benin City and other parts of Edo State, affecting the Benin-Auchi Road and Benin-Agbor-Onitsha Road, which connect the South-South with other parts of the country.
Travellers between the South-East and South-West now face journeys of up to 24 hours, compared with the usual six to 10 hours.
The Guardian reports that two major inter-state transport companies have suspended services on the Lagos-Warri route after buses sent to Lagos failed to return for several days. GUO was also reported to have raised its Lagos-Warri fare to N55,000 before suspending services.
For low-income Nigerians unable to afford air travel, with return flights reportedly costing as much as N300,000, the deteriorating roads have further restricted travel options.
Manufacturers warn of fuel crisis
Okwara Udensi, immediate past chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Edo-Delta, said the gridlock had crippled manufacturing activities in the region.
He said the Benin-Sapele-Effurun road, which previously took about 45 minutes to navigate between Effurun roundabout and Benin, can now take four hours under normal conditions and up to a week during the current gridlock.
“We are moving from bad to worse. The road is bad. A major problem with our roads is that if a trailer falls because of the bad condition of the road, it becomes impassible,” Udensi said.
He estimated manufacturers’ losses at more than N500 billion, saying factories had shut down because raw materials could not reach them while finished products could not be transported to markets.
He also warned that the gridlock could create fuel and diesel shortages because trucks carrying petroleum products and gas are among those trapped on the roads.
“We cannot run our industries on solar no matter what the government is claiming. We still need petrol and diesel to power our machinery, seeing as the government has refused to provide electricity for us,” he said.
Udensi described the situation as unacceptable and warned that businesses could face further distress if the roads were not urgently restored.
FG begins intervention
The Federal Government said it would intervene in the crisis, with Assistant Director at the Federal Ministry of Works, Olufemi Dare, saying the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, would visit the affected corridor to assess the situation.
“He will be at the location and palliative works are going to start tomorrow (today) as well. That is all I can say for now,” Dare said.
The Delta State Government has already awarded a N35 billion contract to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for the reconstruction of 10 kilometres at the Effurun end of the road.
However, stakeholders familiar with the route argue that reconstructing the entire stretch is necessary to provide a lasting solution.
Obi calls for road maintenance
The crisis has also reignited debate over the Federal Government’s approach to road infrastructure ahead of the 2027 elections.
Peter Obi, a leading presidential contender, said the Benin gridlock reinforced his argument that government should prioritise maintaining existing roads instead of pursuing new projects primarily for visibility.
“This is not just about bad roads. It is about lost man-hours, stranded passengers sleeping on highways, wasted fuel, damaged vehicles, delayed goods and businesses losing millions of naira,” Obi said.
He urged the government to prioritise the reconstruction and maintenance of existing roads and other infrastructure.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has defended the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure programme, saying the government has turned Nigeria into a construction site.
The government says more than 260 palliative and regional road projects have been completed, while more than 80 federal highways covering about 6,000 kilometres are under active construction or dualisation.
Economic and food security concerns
Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Muda Yusuf, described the gridlock as an economic crisis rather than simply a transport problem.
“This is not just a transportation problem, but an investment, security, food security and production problem because raw materials are stuck in gridlock,” Yusuf said.
He warned that people and cargoes stranded for days faced heightened security risks, while businesses could also suffer contractual penalties from delayed deliveries.
Yusuf called for faster road maintenance and greater investment in rail infrastructure to move heavy cargo away from Nigeria’s highways.
“Heavy items should not be moving on the roads and this is why our roads do not last,” he said.
He also criticised the response time of the Federal Ministry of Works, saying authorities should have intervened sooner.
The crisis is also threatening food supply chains, particularly as perishable goods remain trapped on the roads.
The African Development Bank has estimated Nigeria’s annual post-harvest losses at N3.5 trillion, identifying poor roads, high transport costs and inadequate storage as major contributors.
With food inflation recently reaching 20.31 per cent, prolonged disruption to major transport corridors could further increase haulage costs and put additional pressure on food prices.
The South-South gridlock therefore highlights a wider infrastructure challenge: without reliable roads and alternative freight systems, disruptions on a single major corridor can quickly become a national economic problem.
