A total of N64.88 billion has been proposed by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, for the 2025 budget appropriation for the maintenance of Nigeria’s road sector.

FERMA’s Director of Information and Public Relations Maryam M. Sanusi in a statement explained that the Minister of State for Works, Muhammad Bello Goronyo, who is the supervising minister of the agency, revealed this at the opening presentation of the budget defence before the joint session of the Senate and House Committees on FERMA. The estimates comprise N4.9 billion for personnel costs, N33.468 billion for overhead costs, and N26.487 billion for capital costs.

The budget prioritises major Trunk A roads within the six geopolitical zones, aligning with the President’s development and economic recovery objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The proposed amount is less than the N77 billion proposed for the year 2024.

The minister assured that FERMA is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability, using data-driven decision-making and regular community engagement in road maintenance planning.

He explained that, in collaboration with the committees and key stakeholders, efforts to reduce the burden on the federal government’s maintenance of road assets nationwide are being explored.

According to him, “FERMA is in the process of developing, modifying, and redefining key policies, which will generate resources for the agency to proactively maintain our roads for ease of movement.”

Managing Director of FERMA Emeka Agbasi, in his presentation before the committees, explained that adequate funding is needed to enable the agency to increase its activities in preventive maintenance and other interventions on federal roads across the country.

He stressed that the agency faces enormous challenges due to low budgetary allocation. He noted that inadequate releases of funds for the 2024 budget have negatively affected the agency’s ability to maintain the roads.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on FERMA, Senator Hussaini Babangida, on his part, frowned upon the practice of continuously constructing new roads without adequate measures to maintain existing ones.

He noted that the allocation for road maintenance is highly inadequate due to the poor conditions of the roads.

2025 budget: FERMA proposes N64.9bn for maintenance