A woman films a line of stalled trucks stretching down a muddy, broken highway near Agbor. Beside an overturned bus, a fish trader’s stock of live catfish lies spilled across the roadside in buckets and sacks.
In late August 2026, motorists on the Benin–Agbor–Asaba corridor reported being trapped for days. One truck driver said it took three days to get from Benin to Asaba. For traders moving perishable goods like the fish in this clip, a stalled road means their capital is lost on the spot.
What broke, and what would fix it
What broke
The highway was concessioned in 2025 for reconstruction, with tolls to repay the concessionaire. Works Minister David Umahi later said the firm had “failed woefully.” The arrangement handed over the road without a working check on whether it stayed usable during the works.
What did the concession agreement require of the concessionaire while construction was under way, and who was monitoring it?
