I write to you as a patriotic Nigerian and a committed practitioner in the travel and tourism sector. This letter comes from a place of genuine concern and hope for our nation’s progress under your father’s leadership.Your father, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has shown commendable courage and vision in pursuing bold reforms that could transform Nigeria for generations to come. However, one critical area threatens to erode the goodwill of these efforts and could ultimately cost him the next election if not addressed urgently is the deplorable state of our roads and the lack of capacity by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency [FERMA].
It is high time FERMA was elevated into a full-fledged Ministry of Roads and Highways, with a sagacious, proactive minister who understands the urgent need to restore safety, connectivity, and efficiency to our national road network. As things stand, the agency lacks the power, structure, and visibility required to tackle the magnitude of Nigeria’s road infrastructure crisis.
We cannot continue to wait until foreign tourists arrive before we fix our roads. Many Nigerians are dying daily on our highways from accidents, from kidnappings, and from the exhaustion of endless journeys on roads that have become death traps.The proposed Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway may one day be completed, but at the current pace, many of us who dream of it might not live to see it.
Moreover, the road network remains the backbone of commerce and tourism. When roads are motorable, the cost of transporting food, manufactured goods, and services naturally declines. Within a year of serious road rehabilitation, food inflation and related costs could drop by as much as 50 per cent. A well-maintained road system benefits every Nigerian, not just the elite who can afford to fly.
Unfortunately, the aviation sector is being prioritised in a way that benefits only a few strong airline operators. These airlines charge exorbitant fares that are far beyond the reach of the average citizen. Meanwhile, the major road transport operators, the likes of GUO Motors, Good Is Good Motors, ABC Transport Plc, LIBRA Motors, and many others who carry millions of Nigerians across the country daily, receive little to no government support.
We also urgently need a national carrier, one that reflects Nigeria’s pride and capacity, not merely a platform for a select few. The imbalance between aviation and road transport policies is widening inequality and making travel within Nigeria both unsafe and unaffordable.
My dear brother Seyi, please tell your father that if he truly wishes to secure his legacy as one of Nigeria’s greatest presidents, he must prioritise road rehabilitation and transportation reform. A full Ministry of Roads and Highways, led by a capable minister, would be a monumental step in that direction.
I do not make this plea out of criticism but out of deep love for Nigeria and belief in the possibilities that lie ahead. With better roads, safer journeys, and more equitable transport policies, Nigerians will stand solidly behind your father and his vision for a renewed HOPE.
Lucky Onoriode George [From a Concerned Travel and Tourism Practitioner]
Lagos, Nigeria.
Email: luckygeorge811@gmail.com
Tel: 08033546608
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