The Federal Government’s latest multi-trillion-naira road infrastructure rollout has sparked outrage after revelations that the South-East received no allocation in the newly awarded projects.In a piece titled “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South-East Missing from the Map?”.
Journalist Linus Anagboso (D-BIG PEN) detailed how contracts announced by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, in May and July 2025 cover major highways in states across the country but leave the South-East without a single kilometre or kobo earmarked.
Among the funded projects are the ₦1.92 trillion Kebbi section and ₦912 billion Sokoto section of the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, the ₦445.8 billion Oyo–Benue border road, and the ₦1.65 trillion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway sections through Ogun and Ondo states.
Other allocations include projects in Nasarawa, Borno, Adamawa, Ekiti, Yobe, and Lagos.Anagboso pointed out that vital South-East federal roads remain in poor condition, including the slow-paced Enugu–Onitsha Expressway repairs, the hazardous 9th Mile–Otukpo road, and the dilapidated Eha-Amufu–Obollo–Nkalagu corridor.
He described the omission as “structural sidelining” of a region that contributes significantly to the nation’s economy, warning that the absence of road infrastructure development will further hinder industrial growth and market access.
Calling on South-East political leaders, traditional rulers, legislators, and business figures to demand equitable treatment, Anagboso stressed: “Silence is not diplomacy it’s betrayal.”
