Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Residents in parts of Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have intensified complaints about deplorable road conditions that continue to isolate communities, hinder economic activity and endanger lives, reflecting long-standing neglect of infrastructure in the region. While major city roads in Abuja have seen investment and upgrades in recent years, rural access routes within Kwali remain problematic, with some already described by locals as “death traps.”
One of the most cited examples of neglect is the Pai road in Kwali Area Council, where despite government allocations and contractor payments totalling over ₦150 million, only approximately one kilometre of a 14-kilometre project has been completed, leaving surrounding communities grappling with persistent potholes, erosion and impassable sections during the rainy season. Residents say the unfinished road has disrupted daily life, closed access to markets, and restricted movement to schools and health facilities.
This enduring challenge in Kwali is emblematic of a broader pattern seen across rural and satellite communities in the FCT, where poor road networks have remained unresolved for years, despite repeated appeals to the federal and territorial authorities. Local accounts previously documented how residents sometimes have to trek through hazardous terrain or navigate flooded and unstable ground simply to reach essential services.
The government has acknowledged rural road deficits and launched infrastructure initiatives aimed at addressing them. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commissioned a 15-kilometre rural road linking the Abuja–Lokoja expressway to Pai in Kwali Area Council in 2025, a project intended to enhance connectivity, support agriculture and open economic opportunities for previously isolated communities. Officials from the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) framed such work as part of a broader “renewal agenda” to integrate satellite towns and enhance rural access.
Similarly, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has publicly committed to progress on rural infrastructure, including the reconstruction of key roads and connections in Kwali, highlighting both current and future projects, such as the Pai-Gomani road, which was flagged off for construction to strengthen access within the area council.
However, community frustrations persist, in part because the pace of execution lags behind urgent needs and many rural links remain neglected. Longtime residents have repeatedly called for timely completion of road works, clearer timelines from government authorities and accountability from contractors tasked with delivering infrastructure.
The impact of inadequate roads is not only inconvenience but also substantiates real human costs. Poor access routes mean increased travel times, higher transportation costs, difficulty in moving agricultural produce to markets, and greater risks during medical emergencies. These conditions stifle economic activity and can exacerbate poverty in rural settlements that comprise a significant portion of the council’s population.
Observers point out that while the FCT administration has made progress on selected projects, imbalances remain between visible city centre developments and core rural access needs, a disparity echoed in other satellite towns across the capital territory. Areas such as Gwagwalada, Kuje and Abaji — which, like Kwali, serve as gateways to broader regions — have similarly recorded long periods of neglected road maintenance and rehabilitation.
Local leaders and residents have stressed that improved road infrastructure is essential not just for convenience but for safety and survival. They say that until chronic road abandonment is comprehensively addressed — through effective planning, transparent contractor engagement and sustained government commitment — communities like Tampe, Pai and other wards within Kwali will continue to bear the economic and human consequences of neglect.
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