Newly Completed Yauri Road Collapses Weeks After Commissioning, Residents Demand Action

A multimillion-naira road project recently completed in Yauri, Kebbi State, has already begun to show alarming signs of collapse.

Barely a month after its commissioning, the road surface has developed cracks, potholes, and failed sections, leaving residents frustrated and raising serious concerns about the quality of public infrastructure delivery in the state.

The civic monitoring group MonITNG, which has been tracking the project, described the development as a “shameful failure of oversight and quality control.”

The organisation accused the contractor of using substandard materials and cutting corners, while also faulting the supervising authorities for negligence.

“This road has not even survived its first rainy season, yet it is already falling apart,” MonITNG noted in a statement. “Kebbi people deserve better. The contractor must be compelled to return to site immediately, and the government should disclose the full details of the contract, including the bill of quantities and laboratory test results.”

The Yauri road debacle adds to growing concerns over the durability of projects executed in Kebbi State.

In 2024, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised similar alarms, alleging that township roads in Yauri were constructed with poor workmanship.

Sections of those roads reportedly began caving in within months of completion, prompting calls for an investigation into how public funds were being spent.

Earlier this year, MonITNG also raised questions about the ₦7.23 billion Argungu bypass and drainage project awarded to Amirco Engineering. Despite being intended to curb flooding and ease traffic, the project reportedly showed defects after heavy rainfall.

While the government dismissed the claims, residents pointed to visible failures on parts of the dual carriageway and drainage system.

Residents of Yauri have expressed deep disappointment over the latest road collapse, sharing videos and photographs of failed portions on social media. Many say the development is yet another example of how public money is wasted without accountability.

“The government told us this road would bring relief, but it has turned into a trap for vehicles within weeks,” a commercial driver told reporters. “We suffer bad roads every year, and now even the new ones don’t last.”

Watchdog groups and civil engineers are now pressing for an independent review of the Yauri road project. They argue that only a transparent assessment can establish whether the failure was caused by weak asphalt, poor base compaction, or inadequate drainage design—problems that frequently plague infrastructure in flood-prone northern states.

Such an audit, they argue, would not only hold contractors accountable but also set a precedent for improved project monitoring in Kebbi State.
Awaiting Government Response
So far, the Kebbi State Ministry of Works has not issued an official response to the Yauri road collapse.

Residents, however, are demanding swift action, including sanctions against any contractor or official found culpable.

With heavy rains continuing to wreak havoc across parts of Kebbi this season, the early failure of the Yauri road has once again highlighted the urgent need for stricter quality control, stronger enforcement of defect-liability clauses, and greater transparency in the state’s infrastructure spending.