Residents of Lafia Local Government Area (LGA) in Nasarawa State were jubilant in 2017 when the state government announced it had awarded contracts for the construction of the six-kilometre Lafia–Agyaragun–Tofa road. Eight years later, however, the project is abandoned, leaving communities frustrated and struggling to access markets, schools, and healthcare.
During a visit to the site in 2024 and again in November 2025, PREMIUM TIMES observed Iliya Musa, a resident of Agyaragun, filling potholes with bags of sand, assisted by his seven-year-old son. Commuters sometimes offer tokens in appreciation of his efforts, but he said the frequent accidents and armed robberies along the road motivated his actions.
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“You cannot pass this road when it rains. I have been filling potholes myself so that people can reach the market,” Mr Musa said.
Other residents highlighted the difficulties caused by the uncompleted road project, particularly during the rainy season, including delayed access to the Lafia Teaching Hospital.
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They said multiple accidents and kidnappings had been recorded along the route. Mr Musa recounted an incident where a car collided with a truck, resulting in two deaths.
Budget Allocations and Financial Discrepancies
The state government allocated ₦200 million to the road project in 2016 under the supervision of the state Ministry of Works, Housing, and Transport. In 2017, an additional ₦120 million was budgeted, bringing the total project cost to ₦320 million.
However, PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation into budget performance and contractor arrears records revealed inconsistencies. The contract for the road was officially awarded to Certified Engineering Ltd on 2 July 2018, for N865.7 million (₦865,750,400).
The records indicate that in 2020, the last tranche of N155,835,072 was paid to the contractor, which completed the total cost of (₦865,750,400) awarded in 2018.
Yet, the official arrears portal still lists the full contract sum of ₦865,750,400, suggesting that initial payments were either unaccounted for or that the debt remains unchanged.
Contractor Legitimacy Concerns
Records show Certified Engineering Ltd was registered in Kaduna with registration number RC 38239. The company is labelled inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) database.
Official inquiries to the CAC help desk and compliance units confirmed that the company was labelled inactive for persistently failing to file statutory annual returns.
An official in the agency informed PREMIUM TIMES via email that the company’s non-compliance has likely moved it toward de-listing.
“They are yet to pay their annual returns, which is why it is showing inactive on the CAC’s portal,” the official disclosed, asking not to be named for not having permission to talk to journalists. An independent verification of the commission’s public database and a Google search of the company name corroborated these claims, displaying an “inactive” status for the firm.
Company’s address not found
Certified Engineering & Construction Ltd’s website lists 18-19 Ahmadu Bello Way in Kaduna as its headquarters, but an extensive physical search by this reporter did not locate the address.
In February, PREMIUM TIMES scanned Ahmedu Bello Way in Kaduna, spanning the intersections with the Jos, Kano, Kontagora, and Taiwo roads. Residents and business owners in these high-traffic commercial hubs were unaware of the firm in the area.
The company’s online data was of no help, as its official website lacks both a functional contact number and a valid email address. Repeated attempts to reach the contractors via telephone over several weeks were equally unsuccessful.
Residents plead
Residents of Agyaragun have repeatedly begged the state government to complete the abandoned road project and ease their daily struggles.
The Hakimi (district head) of Agyaragun told PREMIUM TIMES that, despite multiple meetings with Governor Abdullahi Sule—including the most recent in December 2025—and assurances that the project would be addressed, the road project remains unfinished.
He emphasised that the lack of infrastructure was crippling local businesses and making transportation nearly impossible, especially during the rainy season. According to him, the road has become a nightmare for farmers trying to bring their produce to market.
For residents, the abandoned road is not just an inconvenience; it is a daily hardship that affects commerce, safety, and access to essential services. They remain hopeful that continued advocacy will finally compel the government to act.
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Government Response
The project’s supervisory agency, Nasarawa State Urban Development Board, did not answer our FOI request on the status of the contract.
However, a high-ranking state official familiar with the project told PREMIUM TIMES, on condition of anonymity, that the state government has approved the project in the 2026 budget.
“The governor has already approved the project to be captured in the 2026 budget. There is assurance that this road will finally be constructed to serve the people.”
The official explained that the project was initiated under former Governor Tanko Al-Makura in 2016–2017 but was subsequently halted. In 2019, the contract was re-awarded under the supervision of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board. He refused to speak about whether the government suspected corruption in the contracting process.
The inclusion of the road project in the 2026 budget will be sweet music to the ears of Agyaragun residents and other users of the road. But many would want to see the contractor at work before they can sing in praise of the Nasarawa State Government over the road project.
This report was part of HumAngle SCOJA fellowship.
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