By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) strongly condemns the Federal Government’s imposition of multiple toll gates on the Keffi–Lafia–Makurdi highway, describing the policy as an unjust financial burden on already impoverished citizens, commercial transport operators, traders and businesses across Nasarawa and Benue states.
HURIWA considers the tolling arrangement particularly insensitive at a time when Nigerians are struggling with rising transportation costs, high food prices, declining purchasing power and an increasingly unbearable cost of living. Rather than easing the burden on citizens who depend on this critical economic corridor, the Federal Government has introduced a system that forces motorists to pay repeatedly for using the same highway.
In a statement signed by national Coordinator,Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko,the association demands the immediate suspension of toll collection along the corridor pending a comprehensive review of the policy, the condition of the road, the number of toll plazas, the payment arrangements and the transparency of the revenue management system.
FOUR TOLL GATES ON ONE CORRIDOR: AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN
The Federal Government commenced toll operations on February 4, 2025, along the 227.2-kilometre Abuja–Keffi–Akwanga–Lafia–Makurdi highway. The tolling arrangement covers four principal locations: Keffi, including Garaku, Akwanga, Lafia and Makurdi.
Under the published fee structure, saloon cars pay N500 at each toll point, SUVs and jeeps pay N800, minibuses and light buses pay N1,000, while trucks, buses and multi-axle vehicles pay N1,600. Although certain categories of vehicles enjoy exemptions or discounts, the cumulative cost remains a major concern for ordinary motorists and commercial operators.
A saloon car travelling through all four toll points could pay N2,000 for a one-way journey and N4,000 for a return trip, assuming payment is required at every plaza in both directions. For heavier vehicles, the financial burden is considerably higher.
These are not insignificant amounts in an economy where commercial drivers must contend with fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, spare parts, levies and other operational expenses. The consequences are eventually transferred to passengers and consumers through higher transport fares and increased prices of goods.
HURIWA questions the rationale for subjecting road users to four separate toll collections along a single highway, particularly when motorists have not been provided with sufficient evidence that the arrangement offers value commensurate with the charges imposed.
A ROAD THAT DEVELOPED DEFECTS BEFORE TOLL COLLECTION
Even more troubling are concerns about the quality and durability of the highway itself.
Reports and complaints from road users indicate that sections of the road began showing signs of deterioration, including peeling surfaces, before toll collection commenced. There have also been complaints about poorly constructed culverts and drainage structures at several locations, with some reportedly failing during the road’s first year of use and leaving sections impassable for weeks.
If these concerns are substantiated, they raise serious questions about construction quality, supervision, contractual compliance and the adequacy of maintenance arrangements.
HURIWA insists that Nigerians should not be compelled to pay premium charges for infrastructure whose durability and maintenance standards remain questionable. A tolling regime must not become a mechanism for collecting money from citizens while fundamental defects in the infrastructure remain unresolved.
The Federal Government and the relevant project authorities must publish verifiable information on the road’s construction standards, defect-liability arrangements, maintenance obligations and the measures taken to address reported failures.
The public deserves answers about who is responsible for repairing defective sections and whether the cost of correcting construction deficiencies is being improperly shifted to road users.
CASHLESS TOLLING WITHOUT ADEQUATE FACILITATION
HURIWA is also concerned about the implementation of the cashless tolling system, which reportedly relies on point-of-sale terminals, ATM cards and preloaded electronic cards, with a minimum preloaded value of N10,000.
A cashless payment system may have administrative advantages, but it must not be implemented in a manner that creates avoidable hardship, long queues and severe traffic congestion.
Motorists have complained about delays arising from payment difficulties, inadequate access to the required payment instruments and the burden of making multiple payments at separate toll points. Legislative concerns, including calls for a unified payment arrangement, cash alternatives or temporary suspension pending the resolution of operational problems, have also emerged.
HURIWA is disturbed that these concerns have not resulted in a satisfactory and publicly demonstrated resolution.
A government that introduces a new revenue-generating arrangement has a responsibility to ensure that the system works efficiently before imposing it on millions of road users. Citizens should not lose productive hours in traffic because the authorities failed to anticipate predictable operational challenges.
The association therefore calls for a transparent, integrated payment system that eliminates unnecessary repeated transactions, provides accessible alternatives for motorists and prevents toll plazas from becoming permanent bottlenecks.
A STRATEGIC FOOD CORRIDOR MUST NOT BECOME A TAX TRAP
The Keffi–Lafia–Makurdi highway is more than a transport route. It is a strategic economic corridor connecting communities, markets, farms and distribution centres across Nasarawa and Benue states, two important food-producing states in North-Central Nigeria.
Farmers, agricultural traders, transporters and wholesalers depend on this route to move food and other essential commodities to markets across the country.
Any policy that increases the cost of moving agricultural produce along this corridor threatens the sustainability of businesses and places additional pressure on food prices. The consequences are not limited to motorists in Nasarawa and Benue; they extend to households across Nigeria that depend on produce transported through the region.
HURIWA is particularly concerned that repeated toll payments, alongside existing taxes, levies and other operating costs, could undermine small businesses, reduce commercial transport margins and weaken the livelihoods of traders and transport workers.
The association maintains that infrastructure policy must support economic productivity rather than impose additional obstacles on the movement of food and essential goods.
The Federal Government must explain why a corridor of such national importance requires multiple toll points instead of a more efficient, transparent and affordable arrangement that recognises the economic realities of the communities and businesses that depend on it.
CITIZENS MUST NOT BE MADE TO PAY REPEATEDLY WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY
The Federal Government has defended the tolling arrangement as part of a public-private partnership framework intended to support road maintenance and recover financing obligations associated with the project, including a China Exim Bank loan.
HURIWA recognises that major road infrastructure requires sustainable financing and regular maintenance. However, the existence of a financing obligation does not automatically justify every tolling arrangement or excuse the government from its duty to protect citizens from disproportionate financial burdens.
Where public infrastructure is tolled, the authorities must demonstrate that the charges are reasonable, the collection system is efficient, the road meets acceptable standards and the proceeds are managed transparently.
HURIWA therefore demands full disclosure of the concession or tolling agreement, the approved revenue-sharing framework, the applicable maintenance obligations and the mechanisms for auditing collections and expenditure.
The government must also explain how the tolling arrangement accounts for the road’s reported defects and what safeguards prevent motorists from paying repeatedly without corresponding improvements in road quality and service delivery.
Citizens must not be left to shoulder the burden of public borrowing, questionable construction outcomes and inefficient toll administration without access to information or meaningful avenues for redress.
OUR DEMANDS
In the interest of public welfare, economic justice and accountability, HURIWA calls on the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Works to:
Immediately suspend toll collection along the Keffi–Akwanga–Lafia–Makurdi corridor pending an independent review of the policy and its implementation.
Review the number and distribution of toll plazas, with a view to eliminating unnecessary multiple payments along the same highway and adopting a fairer, more affordable collection structure.
Publish the relevant concession, financing and tolling agreements, including the obligations of the concessionaire, revenue-sharing arrangements and the responsibilities of the government and contractors.
Commission an independent technical audit of the highway, focusing on reported pavement deterioration, defective culverts, drainage failures and other construction or maintenance concerns.
Resolve traffic congestion and payment difficulties by providing an efficient, integrated payment platform and accessible alternatives for motorists who cannot use electronic payment methods.
Engage transport unions, traders, farmers, affected communities and state legislatures before taking further decisions on tolling arrangements that directly affect livelihoods and the cost of essential commodities.
Establish a transparent toll-revenue accountability mechanism that allows the public to understand how much is collected, how the money is spent and what improvements road users can expect in return.
GOVERNMENT MUST CHOOSE PUBLIC WELFARE OVER REVENUE COLLECTION
HURIWA warns that public infrastructure should never become an instrument for deepening poverty or punishing citizens for using an essential transport corridor.
The Federal Government cannot celebrate the construction or rehabilitation of a major highway while ignoring legitimate complaints about its condition, the cost of accessing it and the hardship created by the collection system.
The people of Nasarawa and Benue states deserve particular consideration because their farms, markets, businesses and transport networks contribute to the nation’s food supply and wider economic activity. Their strategic contribution should attract policies that facilitate commerce and reduce logistical costs, not arrangements that multiply financial pressure on already struggling households and enterprises.
HURIWA is not opposed to responsible infrastructure financing. It is opposed to tolling policies that lack sufficient transparency, impose disproportionate cumulative charges and fail to address credible complaints about road quality and operational efficiency.
We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct an urgent review of the tolling regime and suspend collections until the concerns of motorists, commercial operators and affected communities have been satisfactorily addressed.
The Federal Government must demonstrate that the public interest comes before revenue collection. Until it does so, the multiple toll gates on the Keffi–Lafia–Makurdi highway will remain a troubling symbol of a policy that places the financial burden of infrastructure on citizens without adequately demonstrating fairness, efficiency and accountability.