The Federal Government has officially begun tolling on the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road corridor to repay the $460.8 million loan secured from China Exim Bank for the road’s rehabilitation and upgrade.
Motorists traveling along the 227.2km highway will now pay toll fees ranging from N500 for saloon cars to N1,600 for multi-axle vehicles.
However, vehicles belonging to the police and military are exempt to ensure smooth operations for security agencies.
Strategically located toll gates have been set up in four sections along the corridor: Keffi, Akwanga, Lafia, and Makurdi.
Speaking at the launch of toll operations at Garaku Toll Station in Nasarawa State, Minister of Works David Umahi, represented by the Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring sustainable road maintenance and infrastructure development.
Umahi highlighted that toll revenue will be directed towards loan repayment and road maintenance.
He recalled that the $460.8 million loan, secured during the previous administration, covered 85% of the project’s total cost of $542 million. As part of the loan agreement, tolling the road upon completion was a mandatory condition to ensure the loan repayment.
“It is with great pride and optimism that I stand before you today, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, as we officially launch the commencement of toll operations on our federal roads, beginning with the 227.2km Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Corridor,” Umahi stated.
He described the road as a critical link for trade, transportation, and national security, connecting the central and northern regions of Nigeria.
The tolling follows a 25-year Operate and Maintain concession agreement signed in 2023 between the Federal Government and Messrs China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company Limited in partnership with Messrs Catamaran Nigeria Limited.
According to the Federal Ministry of Works, the new toll rates include N500 for saloon cars, N800 for SUVs and jeeps, N1,000 for minibuses, and N1,600 for multi-axle vehicles.
Frequent road users such as commercial light vehicles will receive a 50% discount. Tricycles, motorcycles, pedal vehicles, and other small transport modes commonly used by less-privileged groups are exempt from the toll charges.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by his deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the successful completion of the road.
He called on Nigerians to support the government in ensuring the success of the tolling initiative.
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Folorunsho Adebiyi, emphasized the significance of road infrastructure, noting that over 99% of Nigerians depend on road transport.
“The reality is that less than 1% of Nigerians travel by air. This places immense pressure on our roads, and with rising traffic volumes, we must generate enough revenue for effective road maintenance,” Adebiyi explained.
