FERMA defends 2025 N64.88bn budget

The Federal Emergency Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has defended its 2025 N64.88bn budget.
The budget comprises N4.9bn for personnel costs, N33.468bn for overhead costs, and N26.487bn for capital costs for the 2025 fiscal year.
A statement from the FERMA Director of Information and Public Relations, Maryam Sanusi, and the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, released on Wednesday, noted that the amount is lower than the N77bn proposed for the year 2024.
The statement added that the budget prioritised major trunk A roads within the six geopolitical zones, in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s development and economic recovery objectives under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Works, Mohammad Goronyo, had said the budgetary allocation to the agency is grossly insufficient.
Goronyo attributed this to the critical role the agency plays in maintaining and repairing roads across the country, as well as the vast scale of the task it is responsible for nationwide.
He said the agency requires over N700bn annually for its nationwide maintenance.
Goronyo, who is the supervising minister of the agency, made this statement during his opening presentation at the budget defence before the joint session of the Senate and House Committees on FERMA.
The minister of state for works stated that N96.7bn had been allocated to FERMA in the Act of 2024, which was later increased to N103.3bn by Mr. President.
He said that only N41.282bn had been released from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation to the agency, out of which N40.287bn has been utilised to date.
Goronyo assured that FERMA is committed to ensuring transparency and accountability, using data-driven decision-making and regular community engagement in road maintenance planning.
He disclosed that in collaboration with the committees and key stakeholders, efforts are being made to reduce the burden on the federal government for maintaining road assets nationwide.
However, he lamented the paucity of funds, stating that an oversight visit by the committee on 7th March 2024 had observed that the annual budget allocation to the agency is grossly inadequate to cater to the enormous task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of federal roads, which will require over N700bn.
He said, “I want to implore this esteemed committee to support the agency to ensure the sustainability of road infrastructure maintenance. Increased financial support will ensure the scaling up of preventive maintenance and the promotion of sustainable road maintenance practices.”
“FERMA is in the process of developing, modifying, and redefining key policies to generate resources for the agency to proactively maintain our roads for the ease of movement of people, goods, and services. But the yearly budget allocation is grossly inadequate to cater to the enormous task of maintaining the nation’s extensive network of federal roads, which will require over N700bn annually.”