The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency has pledged to advocate for increased budgetary allocations to the agency in the 2026 national budget.

The chairman of the committee, Aderemi Oseni, made the pledge on Wednesday during an oversight visit to assess FERMA’s operations in the South-West zone. Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State, Oseni decried the poor state of roads across the country, attributing the deterioration largely to chronic underfunding.

“FERMA currently receives only about 10 percent of what it requires to function effectively,” Oseni lamented. “At inception, FERMA was properly funded. Engineers were always at work, contractors were engaged, and road maintenance was consistent. Today, the level of road decay nationwide clearly shows that the current funding is grossly inadequate.”

He added that the committee’s visit was to physically verify the work done against the approved projects in the 2024 budget. “We are quite pleased with the volume of work delivered in the South West zone,” he said. “Out of the 21 projects awarded in South West I, all have been completed. In Kwara State, five out of eight road projects have been completed, while the remaining three are still ongoing.”

Oseni emphasized the importance of translating documented achievements into physical realities, stating, “We are not content with just reports and documentation. Our physical inspection is to ensure that what is on paper is actually what is on the ground.”

The FERMA Zonal Coordinator for South West I, Mr. Babatunde Aina, also echoed concerns about insufficient funding. He explained that limited allocations mean the agency can only address the most critical sections of damaged roads.

“For instance, we may have a 9km stretch of road in dire need of repairs, but budgetary allocation may only cover critical sections. This leaves other portions vulnerable and worsens overall road conditions,” Aina said.

He further identified challenges such as diesel spills, indiscriminate waste dumping on roads, lack of functional vehicles for project supervision, and contractor delays as major hurdles. Aina appealed for better funding, improved logistics, and insurance cover for FERMA staff.

The committee concluded its visit with a call on the federal government to prioritise road infrastructure maintenance, noting that effective road networks are crucial to economic growth and public safety.