Thousands of travellers and motorists have been stranded in a massive traffic gridlock along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway, resulting from the Eid-el-Kabir travel rush.
The gridlock, which affected several sections of the busy highway, particularly the Nasarawa–Azara axis between Katari and Jere, forced many commuters to sleep in their vehicles as traffic slowed to a near standstill.
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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in a statement on Sunday advised motorists travelling between Abuja and Kaduna to use the Kaduna–Kachia–Maraban Kubacha–Jere–Bwari alternative route to ease congestion on the expressway.
“The Corps also urges all road users to maintain lane discipline, avoid one-way driving, obey traffic officials, and drive responsibly,” it added, while assuring that it remains committed to safer road movement during the festive period.
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Several travellers and commercial drivers, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, described the situation as exhausting and frustrating, blaming the persistent traffic crisis on the slow pace of reconstruction work on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway.
“I left Abuja on Saturday afternoon and only got to Kaduna on Sunday after squeezing through some dangerous routes,” said Kabir Alfa, a commercial driver. “We slept on the road because vehicles were barely moving.”
Another traveller, Zarra Abdullahi, said she spent nearly 20 hours trapped in the traffic with her children.
“The journey that normally takes about two or three hours became a nightmare,” she said. “There was no food, no proper place to rest, and many people became angry and frustrated.”
A luxury bus driver told PREMIUM TIMES that some passengers abandoned vehicles and continued their journey on motorcycles.
“People were tired and desperate,” he said. “Some passengers trekked long distances just to escape the gridlock.”
Motorists also blamed some drivers for worsening the situation through dangerous overtaking and driving against traffic regulations, a claim the FRSC also raised in its advisory.
Complaints over slow construction work
Many commuters expressed frustration over the prolonged reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, saying the project has dragged on for years with little visible progress.
According to several travellers interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, less than half of the Abuja-Kaduna section of the road has been completed, despite construction work beginning during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The project started during Buhari’s government, but up till now the road is still causing suffering,” said a commuter, Yusuf Danladi. “From Abuja to Kaduna, it is not even 50 per cent completed.”
The Federal Ministry of Works announced in 2021 that reconstruction work on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road commenced in May 2018, following the award of the contract to Julius Berger in December 2017.
At the time, government officials said significant progress had been made and appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the inconveniences associated with the reconstruction project.
However, years after the project began, road users continue to complain about delays, traffic congestion and deteriorating conditions along portions of the highway, which is one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors linking the Federal Capital Territory to northern Nigeria.
Safety concerns persist in the corridor
Beyond traffic delays, the Abuja–Kaduna highway has also faced long-standing security challenges in recent years, including reported cases of kidnappings and attacks, further complicating travel along one of Nigeria’s busiest highways.
Despite ongoing rehabilitation efforts, commuters say the combination of incomplete construction and heavy traffic volume continues to make the route one of the most stressful in the country.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Eid-el-Kabir: Have hope amidst hardship, Oluwo urges Nigerians
With Eid-el-Kabir barely 48 hours away, some travellers may not reach their destinations on time unless urgent measures are taken to decongest the heavy traffic.
The situation has already led to the breakdown of several trailers and fuel tankers along the route, further worsening the gridlock.
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