Illegal Parking, Roadside Trading Undermine Abuja Road Expansion
Illegal parking, roadside trading and indiscriminate passenger loading are undermining the gains of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration’s ongoing road expansion and rehabilitation projects, with commuters facing prolonged traffic gridlocks across several major corridors.
Despite the expansion and rehabilitation of roads in areas such as Nyanya, Karu, Orozo, Lugbe, Kubwa, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Bwari, traffic congestion remains a major challenge, particularly during evening peak periods.
At Jikwoyi Junction along the Nyanya-Karu corridor, commuters reportedly spend up to an hour or more navigating the area as commercial vehicles stop on the highway to pick up passengers, while traders occupy road shoulders and motorists park indiscriminately.
A commuter, Innocent Oweh, said the situation had become frustrating, noting that motorists heading towards CBN Junction could spend one or two hours on the route during peak periods.
Oweh attributed the worsening congestion less to inadequate road infrastructure and more to poor use of available road space. He also called for the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Jikwoyi Junction to separate pedestrian and vehicular movement.
The development is raising concerns that the benefits of the FCT’s massive road renewal programme could be eroded if traffic management and enforcement are not strengthened.
Three years into the tenure of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, several major roads and bridges have been expanded, rehabilitated or restored, while drainage infrastructure has also received attention.
However, roadside trading, illegal parking, pedestrian encroachment and unauthorised loading and dropping off of passengers have become common on some of the newly improved corridors.
Along the Nyanya-Karu-Orozo axis, traders display goods close to major roads, while road shoulders meant to provide safety buffers and emergency access are increasingly being used for trading and parking.
Similar challenges have been reported around parts of the Kubwa Expressway and Lugbe-Airport Road, particularly around busy communities and junctions.
A senior official of the FCT Development Control Department, who spoke anonymously, attributed some of the enforcement difficulties to the approaching political season, saying authorities were cautious about taking actions that could generate public resentment.
The official also linked the situation to the withdrawal of a task force previously deployed to enforce traffic and development-control regulations.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has also raised concerns over the encroachment of improved road corridors.
The FRSC Corps Commander, Tijjani Iliyasu, commended the FCT Administration for its infrastructure projects but warned that roadside traders and commercial transport operators were increasingly occupying spaces meant to facilitate smooth traffic flow.
According to him, illegal parking, roadside trading and indiscriminate passenger loading are major causes of traffic bottlenecks, especially during evening rush hours.
Iliyasu said the FRSC had engaged the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) over the practice of commercial vehicles stopping on carriageways and had established a task force to address the problem.
He, however, noted that regulating roadside trading was more complex because the FRSC does not license markets or determine where traders operate.
He said the Corps could only alert relevant authorities when trading activities obstruct traffic and recommend the relocation of traders to designated commercial areas.
Iliyasu identified Kabusa and the area around Nyanya Bridge as locations requiring urgent intervention and said he would personally inspect Jikwoyi Junction.
Residents also called for stronger and sustained enforcement.
Femi Akande raised concerns over dangerous driving, including vehicles driving against traffic on Airport Road, while Baba Martins blamed recurring congestion around Dantata Bridge and Berger in Lugbe largely on indiscriminate passenger loading.
Another resident, Yemi Adebayo, urged the authorities to restore sustained enforcement operations, arguing that roadside trading and traffic obstruction had reduced significantly when such operations were active.
Beyond the inconvenience to commuters, experts warn that the situation has serious safety and economic consequences.
Obstructed road shoulders could delay emergency response, while illegal parking and pedestrian encroachment increase the risk of road crashes. Persistent traffic congestion also contributes to lost productive hours, higher fuel consumption, vehicle wear and increased transportation costs.
Urban management experts have therefore called for a broader approach that combines enforcement with better planning.
They recommended the provision of designated markets and vending areas, properly located bus stops, public parking facilities, pedestrian bridges and walkways, alongside consistent enforcement of traffic and development-control regulations.
They also advocated the deployment of technology, including CCTV surveillance, intelligent traffic management systems and automated parking enforcement, to monitor violations and improve compliance.
With significant investments already made in road infrastructure across the FCT, stakeholders say the next priority should be protecting the facilities from misuse.
The success of Abuja’s road renewal programme, they argued, will ultimately depend not only on the construction of wider and better roads but also on disciplined road use, effective enforcement, proper urban planning and stronger coordination among government agencies.
