FERMA Defends N64.88bn Budget Proposal, Laments Paucity of Funds

•Minister says agency requires over N700bn annually

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), has proposed a total of N64.88 billion as its 2025 budget appropriation, comprising N4.9 billion for personnel costs, N33.468 billion for overhead costs, and N26.487 billion for capital costs.

The budget, the agency said, prioritises major trunk ‘A’ roads within the six geopolitical zones, aligning with President Bola Tinubu‘s development and economic recovery objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

However, the amount is less than what was proposed for the budget circle in the year 2024, separate statements in Abuja signed by FERMA’s spokesperson, Maryam Sanusi and a spokesman at the Works Ministry, Mohammed Ahmed, stated.

The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, who is also the supervising minister of the agency, while speaking during the agency’s budget defence before the joint session of the National Assembly on FERMA, stated that N96.7 billion was allocated to FERMA in 2024, but was later increased to N103.3 billion by the president.

The minister further recalled that during the committee’s oversight visit to the agency’s headquarters last year,  it was observed that the yearly budget allocation to the agency was inadequate to cater to the task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of federal roads which will require over N700 billion.

“ I want to implore this esteemed committee to support the agency to ensure the sustainability of road infrastructure maintenance. The benefits of increased financial support will ensure scaling up preventive maintenance, and promote sustainable road maintenance practices,” Goronyo added.

The minister assured that FERMA was committed to ensuring transparency and accountability, using data-driven decision-making and regular community engagement in road maintenance planning.

“FERMA is in the process of developing, modifying and redefining key policies which will generate resources for the agency to proactively maintain our roads for ease of movement of people, goods and services,” Goronyo stated.

In his presentation before the committee, the Managing Director of FERMA, Emeka Agbasi, reiterated the paucity of funds of the agency, noting that adequate funding was needed to enable the agency to increase its activities in preventive maintenance and other interventions on federal roads across the country.

He stressed that the agency was faced with enormous challenges as a result of low budgetary allocation. He noted that inadequate release of funds for the 2024 budget, had negatively affected the ability of the agency to maintain the roads.

Other challenges he enumerated that are facing the agency include the age of the roads, stressing that many of the roads were constructed in the early 70s and they require total rehabilitation.

Also, he pointed out that abuse of the roads by Nigerians was another factor that was reducing the lifespan of Nigerian roads.

However, he informed the committee that equipment worth N3.3 billion was donated to the agency by the Government of Japan and will soon be commissioned as part of the achievements recorded in 2024.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on FERMA, Senator Hussaini Babangida, frowned on the practice of continuous construction of new roads without adequate measures to maintain existing ones.

He noted that the funds for road maintenance was highly inadequate because of the poor conditions of the roads, pointing out that alternative sources of funding should be explored to increase funding for the roads rehabilitation.