The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has provided clarification on why the newly completed 227.2-kilometre Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi highway will be subject to tolling, citing public-private partnership agreements as the primary reason.

Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Briefing held in Abuja on Friday, Umahi explained that the toll implementation is a critical component of the project's sustainability plan.

"It is a PPP contract. Part of the agreement is that it will be tolled. The two carriageways have been completed," the Minister stated. "In the past we have built roads; this is the first time we are constructing a toll gate. The toll is to ensure the road is maintained."

The Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi highway represents a significant infrastructure development connecting the Federal Capital Territory to Benue State through Nasarawa State. The introduction of toll gates marks a departure from Nigeria's previous road management approaches.

During the same briefing, Umahi also provided updates on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's nationwide palliative projects, revealing that 260 projects valued at approximately N208 billion have reached 90 percent completion.

This toll implementation strategy appears to be part of a broader government initiative to ensure the sustainability and proper maintenance of critical infrastructure projects across the country through public-private partnerships.