Abuja-Kaduna Highway Gridlock Leaves Travellers Stranded For Days, Armed Youths Demand ‘Clearance Fees’ | Sahara Reporters

The prolonged gridlock has resulted in long queues of vehicles, particularly articulated trucks, with motorists experiencing significant delays as they struggle to move through affected sections of the highway.

Traffic gridlock has continued to persist on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway despite billions of naira reportedly committed by the Nigerian Government to the construction and rehabilitation of the strategic highway, leaving hundreds of travellers, motorists and truck drivers stranded for days.

The worsening traffic situation, which has persisted since Saturday, August 22, 2026, has reportedly forced some travellers and drivers to spend up to three days navigating the increasingly deplorable expressway linking the Federal Capital Territory with Kaduna and other parts of northern Nigeria.

The prolonged gridlock has resulted in long queues of vehicles, particularly articulated trucks, with motorists experiencing significant delays as they struggle to move through affected sections of the highway.

The development has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of the financial commitments and ongoing construction works on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, particularly as motorists continue to face severe hardship on a road considered one of Nigeria’s most important transport routes.

In August 2026, the Nigerian government was reported to have stated that 80 per cent of the cost of construction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway had been paid, with completion targeted for November 2026.

The reported payments amount to more than N600 billion as the total estimated construction costs was put at N752 billion, yet motorists have continued to endure prolonged traffic congestion, raising concerns over whether the huge financial commitments are translating into improved access and smoother movement for road users.

Beyond the major construction spending, records reviewed by SaharaReporters show that the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, spent a total of N313.2 million on separate interventions, engineering review on the Abuja-Kaduna Road between September 2024 and February 2025.

On September 11, 2024, the ministry paid Dankudan International Limited N180,739,074.67 for the repairs of the bridge at kilometre 68+850 along the Abuja-Kaduna Road in Kaduna State. The payment was referenced as contract number 8156.

Similarly, on February 25, 2025, the Federal Ministry of Works paid Yolas Consultants Ltd N132,465,116.28 for the production of an engineering design for the review of the Abuja-Kaduna Road across the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna and Kano states.

The two payments amounted to N313,204,190.95 and were made for separate interventions aimed at addressing infrastructure and engineering requirements along the strategically important highway.

Despite these financial commitments, motorists are still confronted with lengthy delays and difficult driving conditions, with the latest gridlock highlighting continuing challenges around construction, traffic management and the condition of the road.

SaharaReporters gathered that the situation has also forced some motorists to seek alternative routes through surrounding villages in an attempt to escape the traffic congestion.

However, the diversion has reportedly created another challenge, as armed youths in some of the villages allegedly mounted roadblocks and demanded payments from travellers before allowing them to pass.

Some of the youths reportedly claimed that the payments were for “clearing passage through their villages.”

“The residents of those villages are asking us to pay clearance fee before we can pass,” one of the affected motorists told SaharaReporters.

It was reported that at each village, the youths allegedly mounted roadblocks, further complicating the movement of travellers who had diverted from the main highway to avoid the gridlock.

The Kateri-Jere-Zuba stretch is particularly important because it forms part of the first section of the ongoing Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Super Highway project.

Reports in April indicated that substantial concrete pavement work had been completed on the Zuba-Jere stretch, although construction activities and traffic management remain ongoing along parts of the broader corridor.

However, the construction has not prevented severe congestion, leaving road users questioning why a corridor receiving substantial public funding continues to experience prolonged disruptions.

The Abuja-Kaduna Expressway has a history of severe traffic congestion, particularly involving articulated vehicles.

In 2022, thousands of motorists were trapped for hours after drivers of articulated vehicles blocked both lanes of the Abuja-Kaduna Highway, creating a major obstruction that brought traffic movement to a standstill.

Former Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, reacted to the latest situation, expressing concern over the blocking of the highway by trailer drivers.

“Trailer drivers have blocked the Kaduna Abuja road now. Many motorists are stranded. For whatever reason they did that, it’s wrong, knowing fully the danger of amassing people in one place around Sabon Gayan,” Sani said.

The continued congestion has also heightened security concerns, particularly as large numbers of travellers are being forced to remain on the highway for extended periods.

The diversion of vehicles into villages has further exposed motorists to additional risks, with reports of roadblocks and alleged demands for payments along some alternative routes.

The Abuja-Kaduna corridor is a major transportation route connecting the Federal Capital Territory to Kaduna and other northern states. It is heavily used by passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and motorists transporting people and goods.

The prolonged gridlock could therefore have wider economic implications, particularly for the movement of agricultural produce, commercial goods and essential services between Abuja and northern Nigeria.

For travellers, the situation has transformed what should ordinarily be a relatively direct journey between Abuja and Kaduna into a prolonged ordeal, with some reportedly spending several days on the road.

The latest development has consequently intensified calls for urgent measures to ease the congestion, improve traffic management and ensure that ongoing construction does not further restrict movement along the highway.

The Federal Government’s reported payment of more than N600 billion for the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, alongside the N313.2 million spent on specific Abuja-Kaduna Road interventions, has also increased expectations that motorists should experience tangible improvements in road access and safety.