Cross River Assembly passes 2025 rural acess roads authority bill
Cross River House of Assembly on Friday passed the Rural Access Roads Authority Bill 2025, in a move to transform transportation infrastructure in rural areas across the state.
The bill, which received overwhelming support during its final reading, seeks to address infrastructural neglect in rural communities by creating an authority that will oversee construction and rehabilitation of access roads in rural areas.
The executive bill, sponsored by the House Leader, Hon. Francis Asuquo, representing Odukpani State Constituency, went through first and second readings on April 8 and May 8.
It was later referred to the House Committee on Transport and Marine Services for further legislative procedures.
Presenting the committee’s report, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Victor Nsa, reiterated the importance of rural roads, emphasising that they played a vital role in economic development.
Nsa, representing Calabar South II State Constituency, also noted that such roads facilitated trade and improved agricultural productivity, while enhancing the overall quality of life in rural communities.
He listed some challenges that impeded the development of rural roads to include poor quality jobs, poor funding and lack of maintenance, adding that the bill would address them.
“This bill will check the ugly trend, seeing that the authority will take responsibility of designing, managing, developing, reconstructing, rehabilitating and maintenance of classes C and D roads.
