The development of national trunk roads in Nigeria, 1960 – 2013

Abstract

The term “trunk road” as used in this paper refers loosely to interstate or federal trunk ‘A’ roads. This definition covers (but is not limited) to roads that are dual carriage which connect major towns or regions of Nigeria. It includes roads which are not dual carriage but which are major highways and which play the role of linking regions of Nigeria together. Examples of some of the trunk roads are Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Lagos-Sokoto Highway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway and Kano-Kaduna Expressway, to mention just a few. Apart from playing a significant role in the movement of goods and services across the regions, these roads have continued to exert considerable socio-economic impact on the country. This paper examines the motives behind the development of these roads, accounts for their development, discusses the problems associated with their construction, the issue of road financing and maintenance as well as the impact of these roads on the socio-economic life of the people.