The Federal Government’s approval of ₦610.13 billion for infrastructure projects has drawn criticism from the Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, who argues that the South-East received no significant road investment despite the massive spending package.
Onoh described the allocation to the region as a “dangerous economic provocation,” claiming that while other parts of the country secured major highway projects, the South-East’s only inclusion was a proposed trailer park in Aro-Ngwa, Abia State.
According to him, the ₦19.70 billion project represents just 3.23 per cent of the total infrastructure package and is structured as a 50-year public-private partnership concession rather than direct federal capital investment.
He argued that the arrangement falls far short of the type of infrastructure needed to stimulate economic growth in a region known for its industrial and commercial activities.
“A lorry depot cannot build an economy,” Onoh said, insisting that a trailer park cannot deliver the same economic impact as federally funded road projects.
He contrasted the South-East’s allocation with projects approved elsewhere, including ₦159.83 billion for road reconstruction in Ekiti State, ₦96.43 billion for maintenance on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, ₦94.24 billion for the Ilara-Iselu Road in Ogun State and ₦74.51 billion for a section of the East-West Road in Rivers State.
Additional approvals included ₦56.75 billion for the Suleja-Minna Road in Niger State, ₦54.52 billion for another phase of road rehabilitation in Ekiti and ₦54.12 billion for the Abeokuta-Iboro-Ilaro Road in Ogun State.
Onoh warned that establishing a major trailer park without first rehabilitating the federal roads linking it to key commercial centres could worsen traffic congestion, accelerate road deterioration and create additional security concerns.
Rather than lowering transportation costs, he argued, the project could increase operating expenses for logistics companies and ultimately raise prices for traders and consumers across the region.
As an alternative, Onoh urged the Federal Government to prioritise strategic infrastructure capable of strengthening the South-East’s industrial base.
His proposals include completing and dualising the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, extending standard-gauge rail links to Aba, Nnewi and Onitsha, integrating industrial clusters into the national gas grid, operationalising the Isiala Ngwa Inland Dry Port and providing emergency funding to tackle severe gully erosion in Anambra, Imo and Abia states.
He called on the Federal Government to adopt a more balanced approach to infrastructure spending, insisting that the South-East deserves investments that improve connectivity, reduce business costs and support long-term economic growth.
