By Aisha Muhammad Magaji
The ongoing reconstruction of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano highway, particularly the Zuba section, has triggered heated debates across social media after recent photos showing gridlocks, unfinished lanes, and roadside markets went viral.
The images, shared by commuters, revealed single-lane traffic, long queues of trucks, and pothole-ridden diversions that many Nigerians described as “snail pace progress.” The posts quickly drew thousands of comments, with users questioning not just the speed of construction but also the quality of the work being delivered.
One commuter said, “The pace and quality applied to that road is very snail pace.”
Another added, “Not a single contractor is currently working on that critical road.”
While some Nigerians insisted the photos reflected the current state of the road, others countered that the images were “over a month old” and that contractors had since moved beyond the Zuba stretch. The debate underscores the frustration and mistrust surrounding one of the country’s most important highway projects.
The Zuba section serves as a key gateway from Abuja to Kaduna and the northern corridor, making it critical for trade, security, and daily commuting. Its poor state has been linked to longer travel times, increased vehicle maintenance costs, and exposure to armed attacks on alternative rural routes.
For years, motorists have called for urgent rehabilitation of the corridor, which handles some of the country’s heaviest traffic, including fuel tankers and cargo trucks bound for northern states.
The Federal Ministry of Works maintains that progress is ongoing and that the Zuba segment is part of a larger 165-kilometre Abuja–Kaduna–Kano road project divided into sections.
In January 2025, Minister of Works David Umahi announced that President Bola Tinubu had ordered completion of the entire expressway within 14 months.
By May 2025, the Ministry reported that about six kilometres of rigid concrete pavement had been completed in Zuba (three kilometres on each lane). Officials also said reinforced pavement and modern drainage would give the road a lifespan of 50 to 100 years if built to standard.
Contractors were also warned that no mobilisation payments would be released without visible on-site work.
According to Umahi, the Tinubu administration inherited stalled contracts and restructured them, introducing rigid concrete technology in place of the conventional asphalt for durability.
Despite these assurances, residents and road users remain unconvinced. Many argue that the visible reality clogged single lanes, abandoned construction equipment, and roadside congestion tells a different story.
A trader in Zuba market said, “We see trucks every day, but for months, work here looked abandoned. When it rains, it is worse because the diversions are muddy and dangerous.”
Transport operators also lament the costs. Fuel tanker drivers complain that navigating the Zuba stretch often adds two to three hours to their journey, with significant losses for businesses.
The controversy has also taken an ethnic and political undertone. Some online comments questioned whether regions like Zuba were being neglected, while others dismissed such claims as distractions from the real issue accountability in road construction.
Still, the heated exchanges reveal deeper public skepticism toward government infrastructure promises. Many Nigerians remain wary of timelines, recalling years of broken pledges on similar projects.
Infrastructure analysts caution that the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano road is too strategic to fail. It connects the Federal Capital Territory with the North-West, supports agricultural and fuel supply chains, and has security implications.
Experts say rigid concrete pavement, if properly executed, is the right approach, but they stress that consistent monitoring and transparent progress reports are crucial to rebuild public trust.
Transport consultant Kabir Abdullahi explained, “Citizens don’t just want statistics, they want to see and feel the difference on the ground. The Zuba photos went viral because people feel disconnected from what government claims.”
As of September 2025, construction continues, but visible inconsistencies remain. While the government insists the highway will be delivered in record time, social media users continue to provide counter-narratives with pictures, videos, and live testimonies.
For commuters, the demand is simple: a safer, faster, and more durable road. For the government, the challenge lies not just in delivering the infrastructure, but in bridging the widening trust gap with the citizens it serves.
