Tolling Highways: TUC, BPE Sharply Disagree on Merits

•BPE: Tolling ensures sustainable road infrastructure devt 

•As TUC knocks FG’s Naira devaluation triggering galloping inflation

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) have sharply disagreed over the touted merits of tolling of highways by the federal government.

While BPE’s Director General, Mr. Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, stated that tolling operations on Nigerian roads would mark a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards sustainable road infrastructure development, the TUC took a diametrically opposed position.

On its part, the TUC asserted: “It is unacceptable to impose tolls on roads that are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes,” alleging it is deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians.

Meanwhile, the BPE DG spoke at the Garaku Toll Station, Km 32, Keffi-Akwanga Section, Keffi, Nasarawa State, during the inauguration of the 227.2km Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi road corridor.

Gbeleyi who noted that good roads are essential for national development added that “they facilitate trade, enhance mobility, and improve the overall quality of life.”

In another development, the Union also alleged that the federal government’s ill-advised Naira devaluation was responsible for the escalating prices and galloping inflation in the country and firmly opposed government’s decision to commence tolling of the Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi Highway.

In its communique at the end of the 1st Quarter 2025 National Administrative Council (NAC) held in Abuja on Thursday, TUC said it still stands by its position that the “excessive devaluation of the naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services”.

The communique read out by TUC president Festus Osifo said the union is focusing efforts on ways of addressing the root cause of the economic challenges facing the country rather than merely reacting to the manifested symptoms.

Osifo said that TUC is demanding a better foreign exchange (FX) management regime from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the naira is currently undervalued, as confirmed by both local and international experts.

His words: “The Congress had warned that this trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.

“Twelve months later, our position remains unchanged, as the symptoms of this root cause have manifested clearly.

“These include the skyrocketing prices of essential goods, the escalating costs of social services, the proposed hike in telecom tariffs, the increase in electricity tariffs (with plans for further increments), the rising prices of petroleum products amongst others”.

On the proposed Toll Gates on federal roads and the speculated 65% Hike in electricity tariffs, TUC said it was not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians,

“NAC, on behalf of the Congress, strongly condemns the proposed 65% increase in electricity tariffs. It is alarming that the government is considering this hike when the previous increment has already inflicted severe hardship on citizens.

“This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.

NAC further deliberated on the proposed introduction of toll gates on selected federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirely.

While acknowledging that tolling is a globally recognized method of generating revenue for road maintenance, TUC said, “it is unacceptable to impose tolls on roads that are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes”.

Osifo said the union viewed government’s action as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads that are in total disrepair.

His words: “Our highways are death traps unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes. Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.

“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained.”

Regarding planned 50% increase in telecom tariffs, TUC said it also examined the issue and fully endorses the position of its sister labor center, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NIC), in rejecting this move.

According to TUC the decision to increase tariffs was made without proper consideration of its economic impact on the masses.

Throwing more light on the basis of its support for tolling federal highways, the BPE DG stated that quality infrastructure comes at a cost as construction, maintainance and upgrade of roads require substantial financial investment.

Gbeleyi said it was unrealistic to expect critical assets to be sustained without a structured revenue framework, hence, the need for tolling operations on the roads.

According to him, if the citizens want world-class infrastructure, they must be willing to contribute to its sustainability.

“This tolling model is not just about collecting fees; it is about ensuring that we have well-maintained roads that offer comfort, safety, and efficiency to road users.

“The revenue generated will be directly reinvested into the maintenance and continuous improvement of this corridor, ensuring that it remains in top condition for years to come,” he stated.

The benefits of the initiative far outweigh the costs, itemising them as

improved road maintenance, enhanced safety and security, reduced travel time and costs as well as job creation.

He said the tolling process would be managed through a transparent framework with oversight from relevant regulatory bodies.

“We are committed to ensuring that funds collected are appropriately utilized for road maintenance and development, and we encourage the public to hold the government accountable in this regard”, he added.

He urged road users to see the initiative not as a burden but as an investment in their safety, convenience, and economic prosperity.