President Muhammadu Buhari has approved reintroduction of toll gates on federal highways across the country, about 18 years after the Olusegun Obasanjo administration dismantled tolls and abolished the scheme.
The federal government first announced plans to reintroduce toll fees on Federal Highways in the country in 2019.
President Obasanjo cancelled tolling on highways saying it had outlived it’s usefulness and had become a conduit for corruption with negligible revenue to the government.
The decision for the reintroduction of toll gates on federal highways was however taken at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting held in Abuja, according to Tolu Ogunlesi, President Buhari’s media aide.
“One of the highlights of today’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting (Wednesday, August 11, 2021) is the APPROVAL of a Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy and Regulations.
It has been undergoing development for a while now, and is now finally ready and has been approved by Cabinet,” Mr Ogunlesi said.
He further said that bicycles, tricycles, motorcycles, diplomatic vehicles, military and paramilitary vehicles will be exempted from paying toll fees, while cars, SUVs, private buses, commercial buses, luxury buses and trucks will pay N200, N300, N150 and N500 respectively.
“Recommended Tolling Fees in the Approved Policy and Regulations are as follows: Cars: N200, SUVs: N300, Private Buses: N300, Commercial Buses: N150
Luxury Buses and Trucks: N500,” Mr Ogunlesi said.
The new policy comes amidst biting inflation across the country and failing economy which he left many Nigerians barely surviving and unable to get affordable food.
