Every day, thousands of heavy-duty trucks transporting goods between Lagos and northern Nigeria travel along the Bida–Lapai road in Niger State, one of the country’s most strategic economic corridors. The highway serves as a vital link between the seaports in Lagos and markets across the North, while also providing a route for the movement of agricultural produce and livestock to southern Nigeria. Yet, despite its importance to the country’s economy, the road is in a state of severe disrepair. Years of neglect have left the highway riddled with deep potholes, damaged asphalt and long stretches that have become hazardous for motorists. Transport operators say the deteriorating condition of the road has led to frequent vehicle breakdowns, prolonged travel times, rising transport costs and repeated accidents involving heavy trucks, resulting in loss of lives and properties on a daily basis. They warn that the situation is not only disrupting the movement of goods but also increasing the cost of doing business and ultimately affecting the prices of commodities in markets across the country. For thousands of truck drivers, traders and communities whose livelihoods depend on the Bida–Lapai road, the issue goes beyond a failing highway. It is a story of lives at risk, businesses under pressure and an economy bearing the cost of neglected infrastructure. As motorists continue to navigate the dangerous route daily, they urge the federal government to urgently rehabilitate the road before more lives and livelihoods are lost. Road taking lives For members of transport unions, the poor state of the road is no longer just an inconvenience; it has become a matter of life and death. How Kano emerged world’s 9th most populous city How northern youths abandoned Okada riding for farming in Ogun Abdurahman Umar Gimba, a member of the National Truck Drivers Associations, said transport unions had been forced to devise their own safety measures to minimise casualties among motorists and members of surrounding communities. He lamented that every journey carried significant risks, especially for heavy-duty vehicles transporting goods across the country. He told Weekend Trust that many lives have been lost on the road, prompting members of drivers unions to adopt measures aimed at reducing the risks to commuters. He noted that a taskforce committee was formed with the support of the police area commander and saddled with the responsibility of controlling the movement of heavy trucks in and out of Bida town. “Just recently, trucks killed three commercial motorcycle riders; that’s why we are here to control them. We restrict their movement from this point opposite the police area command towards Bida town. And we communicate with our members at the other end of the Bida-Lapai road, which is in severe deteriorating condition. “As traffic moves, we release 50 to 60 trucks at a time and stop the rest. And when the road is free, we release another batch. This is what we have been doing, day and night. And if we fail to do it, there will be more casualties as the accidents caused by the bad road condition are too much,” he said. Lamenting that every journey comes with significant risks, especially for heavy-duty vehicles transporting goods across the country, Abdurahman Gimba urged the authorities to come to their aid by fixing the road. The nightmare continues Commercial drivers said the deteriorating state of the road had significantly increased vehicle maintenance cost, with tyres, suspension systems and steering components wearing out faster than expected. Traders transporting food and other goods also face delays, while passengers endure longer travel times, higher transport fares and increased fuel consumption. Muhammed Sani, a truck driver who was transporting bags of soya beans loaded on his truck from the North to Ibadan, told Weekend Trust that he had spent three days covering less than 40 kilometres before his truck overturned because of the condition of the road. He said: “This is what we face daily on this road. My truck overturned after spending three days covering less than 40 kilometres. The loss is enormous. We appeal to the government to urgently repair this road.” For drivers like Sani, every breakdown means not only expensive repairs but also damaged goods, delayed deliveries and lost income. The physical damage to the road is obvious. Massive craters punctuate long stretches of the highway, while broken pavement forces vehicles to weave dangerously from one side of the road to another in search of safer paths. During the rainy season, pools of muddy water conceal the true depth of the potholes, making accidents almost inevitable. Beyond the damaged surface lies a deeper story, one of livelihoods threatened, businesses disrupted, lives lost and communities left to bear the burden of failing infrastructure. For commercial transport operators, the Bida–Lapai road h
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