FG Launches ‘Operation Rescue’ to Fix Failed Sections of Benin-Asaba Expressway
Pan Afric Reporters
The Federal Government has commenced an emergency intervention on the deteriorating Benin–Asaba Expressway, deploying equipment and personnel under the Ministry of Works’ “Operation Rescue” initiative to restore safe and uninterrupted movement along the strategic 125-kilometre corridor linking Edo and Delta states.
The development was contained in a press release issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed A. Ahmed, following the inauguration of Operation Rescue Benin–Asaba Expressway in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, said the emergency intervention was necessitated by the severe deterioration of sections of the highway and the need to provide immediate relief to motorists, commuters, businesses and communities along the corridor.
The Benin–Asaba Highway runs from AIF Roundabout in Benin City to Summit Junction in Asaba, covering about 125 kilometres. According to the Ministry, the road was concessioned to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) by the previous administration, with the site handed over under the present administration in March 2025.
The Ministry said the project’s Independent Engineer, Messrs Yolas Consultants Limited, subsequently established that the concessionaire lacked the technical and financial capacity to execute the project effectively and advised urgent intervention to prevent further deterioration, avert gridlock and reduce the hardship faced by road users.
Umahi said the Ministry had been monitoring the concession project through several site visits and had issued instructions through the Independent Engineer for the concessionaire to comply with prescribed standards and methodology, but the situation continued to worsen.
Explaining the rationale for the intervention, the Minister said: “This is not a new contract but an immediate solution to the plight of road users.” He stressed that the Federal Government would not allow the condition of a major national artery to continue to undermine economic activities, the movement of people, goods and services, or the safety of road users and host communities.
According to Umahi, the emergency works are designed to provide immediate traffic relief while developing a sustainable engineering solution for the identified failed sections. “Operation Rescue is about immediate action, restoration of movement, and protection of the travelling public and communities along the corridor,” he said.
The Minister added: “We are determined to address the failed sections and, thereafter, provide a durable solution that will serve Nigerians for many years.” He urged motorists and residents along the corridor to cooperate with officials and traffic-management personnel, while appealing for patience and caution around active construction zones.
“I am pleading with motorists to exercise patience, observe traffic-management directives and drive cautiously around active construction zones,” Umahi stated, assuring road users that the Ministry would continue to monitor the project and take measures to minimise disruption during the intervention.
The Minister commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his concern for the welfare of citizens and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to restoring the Benin–Asaba Expressway to a safe, functional and durable condition in the interest of Nigerians and the national economy.
Also speaking, Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo was commended for his response to the August 2026 protest over the poor condition of the highway. The Ministry said the Governor had identified with the concerns of affected communities and motorists and dispatched his Chief of Staff to appeal for calm while assuring stakeholders of remedial action.
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Deputy, Charles Anaogu, expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing it as “a well-desired action to better the lives of the people of Delta State and the general public.”
The representative of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also commended the Federal Government’s intervention and the Minister’s efforts towards addressing infrastructure challenges in the Niger Delta.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Engr. Phoebe William Bello, described the rescue operation as timely, noting that the highway serves as a critical transportation corridor connecting communities and facilitating mobility, commerce and trade between Edo, Delta and other parts of the country.
Stakeholders at the inauguration, including the Deputy Governors of Edo and Delta states, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, youth representatives and community leaders, welcomed the emergency intervention and urged sustained action to restore the highway to a safe and durable condition.
