ICRC Explains Toll Pricing Under Highway Development Initiative

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has defended the toll pricing structure under the Highway Development and Management Initiative, saying charges are assessed against the quality and benefits motorists receive from upgraded roads. In a statement made on Thursday, the Director-General of the commission, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh, cited the 227-kilometre Akwanga–Makurdi road corridor as an example of the arrangement. He said the route has four toll gates, allowing motorists to pay as they travel along the corridor. Ewalefoh argued that the cost of tolls should be considered alongside the losses motorists previously incurred from poor road conditions, including wasted time, vehicle damage and increased accident risks. He added that feedback from road users indicates that many motorists are willing to pay tolls when they can see noticeable improvements in road quality, with some drivers supporting similar arrangements on other major routes if those roads are upgraded to comparable standards.

Ewalefoh described the arrangement as an example of a properly structured public-private partnership, explaining that toll rates are negotiated with consideration for affordability and fairness. He said part of the revenue generated from the tolls is specifically allocated to maintaining the roads throughout the concession period. Under the concession agreements, he explained, the government is not expected to shoulder additional maintenance costs for the duration of the contracts. The arrangement also requires potholes to be repaired within 48 hours, while major routine maintenance is funded from the dedicated toll revenue. According to the ICRC, the structure is intended to ensure that upgraded highways are maintained to the required standard while providing motorists with improved road conditions in exchange for the tolls they pay.

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