The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has proposed a total budget of N229.999 billion for the 2026 fiscal year, as the Senate Committee on FERMA emphasized the need for accountability and improved road maintenance across the country.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, during the agency’s budget defence session, stressed that funds released for specific projects must be properly utilized for their intended purposes. He urged FERMA to intensify its road maintenance efforts to ensure safer and more accessible road networks nationwide.
Presenting the agency’s budget, the Managing Director of FERMA, Barrister Bello Muhammed Goronyo, reviewed the performance of the agency’s 2025 budget and outlined projections for 2026.
According to him, FERMA was allocated N90.5 billion in the 2025 budget. However, the releases and implementation varied across expenditure components. Out of the N52.14 billion earmarked for capital projects, only N19.22 billion was released. Similarly, N18.36 billion was released from the N33.6 billion allocated for overhead costs. In contrast, the personnel cost allocation of N4.92 billion recorded full implementation, with 100 percent of the funds released and utilized.
For the 2026 fiscal year, FERMA proposed N229.999 billion to enhance its operational capacity and address road maintenance challenges. The proposal includes N191.47 billion for capital expenditure, which also covers the rollover of about 70 percent of ongoing capital projects from the 2025 fiscal year. Personnel costs are projected at N5.06 billion, while overhead expenses are estimated at N33.47 billion.
Despite the proposed increase, the agency noted that inadequate funding remains its major challenge, affecting its ability to effectively maintain federal roads and execute critical maintenance projects.
The committee assured that it would carefully review the proposal while reiterating the importance of transparency, efficiency, and optimal utilization of public funds to improve road infrastructure across the country.