Behind the promise of progress on the Abuja–Keffi Expressway lies a daily struggle with choking dust, shattered livelihoods and relentless hardship, exposing the heavy human cost borne by thousands of residents and commuters, LOIS SAMBO writes.
For the hundreds of thousands of people who call Mararaba home, patience has long been the price of affordable living. The bustling Nasarawa community, which serves as the principal gateway to Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, has for years been synonymous with punishing traffic, as civil servants, traders and other commuters endure the daily ordeal of travelling barely 11 kilometres into Abuja.
Today, however, that patience has been stretched to breaking point.
The reconstruction and expansion of the Abuja–Keffi Expressway, centred on the ₦39 billion Mararaba twin flyover project, was conceived as a transformative intervention that would finally end decades of crippling congestion. Yet, months after the demolition of the iconic Mararaba pedestrian bridge to pave the way for the new infrastructure, residents say the promise of a smoother future has come at an unbearable cost.
Instead of relief, they are confronting endless traffic, choking dust and mounting health concerns, leaving many to question whether the burden of progress has become too heavy to bear.
A Daily Ordeal
With several sections of the carriageway narrowed to accommodate heavy construction equipment, what was once a frustrating commute has deteriorated into near-permanent gridlock. During peak hours, motorists spend several hours crawling through a corridor where traffic control is minimal and alternative routes are virtually non-existent.
For many commuters, the journey has become physically exhausting and emotionally draining.
“Imagine leaving home at 4.30 a.m. simply to arrive at work by 8.00 a.m.,” says Sunday Pam, a civil servant who makes the journey each weekday. “There are days when I am still trapped on this road at 11.00 a.m. It is mentally exhausting. By the time you return home after work, you have spent most of your day sitting in traffic, inhaling choking dust, exhaust fumes and watching brake lights.”
Nkechi Ikechukwu shares a similar frustration. “Living in Mararaba has never been easy, but this is unlike anything we have experienced before,” she says. “I used to wake up at 5.00 a.m. Now, if I’m not out of the house before 4.00 a.m., my entire day is disrupted. We spend more time commuting than living.”
For countless residents, productivity has declined, family life has suffered and stress levels have soared, as hours once devoted to work or rest are now consumed by traffic.
A Growing Public Health Concern
While the congestion has become a daily source of frustration, residents insist that the most serious consequence of the construction lies elsewhere.
The extensive earthworks, unpaved diversions and constant movement of heavy machinery have generated dense clouds of dust that hang over the community throughout the day. Homes, vehicles, shops and businesses are routinely coated in a layer of fine dust-like particles, while pedestrians, traders and commuters are left breathing heavily polluted air.
What many initially dismissed as a temporary inconvenience is increasingly being viewed as a public health emergency.
Medical experts warn that prolonged exposure to construction dust—particularly fine silica particles—can cause persistent coughing, throat irritation, breathing difficulties and eye infections. Sustained inhalation may also reduce lung function and increase the risk of chronic respiratory diseases, including silicosis, an irreversible condition caused by the scarring of lung tissue.
Health specialists further caution that airborne dust may carry fungal spores capable of triggering respiratory infections such as coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley fever, which can cause fever, chest pain, fatigue and persistent coughing.
Residents also point to the environmental impact, noting that roadside vegetation and small farms have become blanketed by dust, with many plants showing visible signs of deterioration.
Contractors Appeal for Understanding
The project is being executed by Triacta Nigeria Limited under the supervision of the Nasarawa State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works. Responding to concerns over the persistent dust, a project engineer who requested anonymity acknowledged the hardship residents are experiencing but appealed for patience.
“This is one of the busiest road corridors in the country, and executing a project of this magnitude while keeping traffic moving is extremely challenging,” the engineer said. “We are operating under demanding conditions and tight timelines, but our objective remains to deliver a project that will permanently improve mobility.”
The engineer admitted that dust suppression remains a major challenge and disclosed that the company is considering more frequent deployment of water tankers to spray exposed sections of the construction corridor.
“We recognise the concerns raised by residents,” the engineer added. “We are working towards introducing more regular watering of the graded sections to minimise dust pollution as construction progresses.”
Residents Want Relief, Not Delays
Despite their frustrations, few residents oppose the project itself. Most acknowledge that the twin flyovers and expanded highway have the potential to transform one of the country’s most notorious traffic bottlenecks, easing movement into the Federal Capital Territory and stimulating economic activity across the corridor.
Their appeal is not for construction to stop, but for the work to be carried out with greater urgency and consideration for public welfare. Across community meetings and social media platforms, residents continue to urge the contractors and supervising authorities to improve traffic management, accelerate construction and implement effective dust-control measures before the health consequences become irreversible.
For many, the solution begins with something as simple as regular water spraying to keep dust levels under control.
As work continues on one of the region’s most ambitious transport projects, the people of Mararaba and adjoining settlements and town remain hopeful that the temporary hardship will eventually give way to lasting relief. Yet they insist that development should never come at the expense of the health, dignity and wellbeing of the very communities it is intended to serve.
Infrastructure is the foundation of national progress, but its benefits should not be measured solely by the roads and bridges it delivers. They should also be reflected in the care shown to those who must endure the journey from disruption to development.
