Federal Government Launches Toll Gates on Abuja–Makurdi Road, Charges N500 to N1,600
The Federal Government has officially launched toll operations on the Abuja-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road corridor to repay the $460.8 million loan obtained from the China Exim Bank for its rehabilitation and upgrade. Motorists using the highway will now pay tolls ranging from N500 for saloon cars to N1,600 for multi-axle vehicles. However, police and military vehicles are exempt from toll fees to ensure smooth operations. The toll gates are divided into four sections: Keffi, Akwanga, Lafia, and Makurdi, with revenue generated primarily directed towards repaying the loan and maintaining federal roads nationwide.
Speaking at the toll station’s commissioning in Nasarawa State, Minister of Works David Umahi, represented by Minister of State for Works Bello Goronyo, expressed the government’s commitment to maintaining federal roads through sustainable funding mechanisms. Umahi highlighted that the rehabilitation of the 227.2km road was made possible through a preferential credit loan from the China Exim Bank, which covered 85% of the project’s total cost. The tolls will help ensure proper maintenance and expansion of road networks across Nigeria, while also promoting national economic and social development.
The tolling system has been designed with various fees based on vehicle types: saloon cars will be tolled at N500, SUVs at N800, minibusses at N1,000, and multi-axle vehicles at N1,600. Frequent road users, such as commercial light vehicles, will benefit from a 50% discount. Exemptions are in place for tricycles, pedal vehicles, motorcycles, and other transport modes primarily used by disadvantaged populations. This tolling system is seen as a vital step toward creating a more efficient and sustainable road transport system in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by his deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, praised the completion of the road and encouraged Nigerians to cooperate for its success. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Folorunsho Adebiyi, also emphasized the importance of properly managing Nigeria’s road infrastructure, noting that road transport remains the most accessible and affordable means of transportation for the majority of Nigerians. He further stressed the need for adequate funding to manage the country’s road networks, which are heavily utilized due to the limited number of air travelers in Nigeria.
