Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has raised a serious alarm over the misuse of newly constructed roads, warning that the practice of parking fuel tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles on highways could cause severe damage to the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Okay News reports that the Minister issued the stern warning during an inspection of the over 230 billion naira Aleto Bridge project in Rivers State.
Umahi noted that the dangerous trend of parking massive vehicles on completed sections of the highway not only obstructs traffic but directly threatens the durability of the infrastructure. He stressed that no road is designed to withstand prolonged static loads and that such misuse will inevitably lead to early deterioration.
Despite his concerns regarding road misuse, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of the contractor’s work. He highlighted that the project was strategically redesigned from asphalt to concrete pavement under the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure long-term durability.
Umahi also commended the President for securing alternative funding to continue the project after financial support from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company ceased in 2025, while urging all transport operators to treat the safeguarding of public assets as a shared responsibility.
