The Nasarawa State Government has announced that the 65-kilometre Kwandere-Garaku Road, currently under construction, will be tolled upon completion to ensure proper and sustainable maintenance.
The road is expected to serve as a major route connecting Lafia to Keffi, significantly reducing travel time to Abuja and easing pressure on the congested Lafia–Akwanga–Keffi corridor.
The state’s Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Mr Mu’azu Gosho, disclosed this during a ministerial briefing in Lafia on Monday, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He explained that the route, once completed, would shorten the Lafia–Keffi journey by over 30 kilometres and improve mobility for both private motorists and commercial transporters.
According to Gosho, tolling the road is necessary to maintain it over the long term, especially as it is expected to attract a high volume of vehicular traffic, including heavy-duty trucks, due to its strategic location and impact on travel time.
“The Gov. Abdullahi Sule-led administration has prioritised completing projects started by the previous administrations, including the Kwandere-Garaku Road.
“This road will drastically cut travel time from Lafia to Abuja, and this will attract heavy vehicular flow, including heavy-duty trucks.
“So, we will toll the road when completed to enable us to maintain it regularly,” Gosho stated.
Gosho also revealed that the road project, inherited from the previous administration, is being funded using a refund of over N9 billion from the Federal Government, following its takeover of the Lafia Cargo Airport.
In addition to tolling major roads, the commissioner said the government plans to open more rural access roads to improve the movement of agricultural produce to markets and support economic development in farming communities.
What you should know
Tolling has gained renewed momentum under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, with both federal and state governments increasingly adopting it as a strategy for road maintenance and infrastructure sustainability.
- The 227.2-kilometre Abuja–Akwanga–Lafia–Makurdi Road became the first to be tolled in February 2025 to repay a $460.8 million loan from China Exim Bank, while other federal roads like the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway are also expected to follow once completed.
- Under the Federal Government’s Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), additional roads will be tolled through concession agreements.
States are also joining in—Ogun State, for instance, commenced tolling on the 14.7-kilometre Epe–Mojoda–Ijebu-Ode Expressway on March 24, 2025, to fund operations and ensure long-term maintenance.
