Experts call for structural audit on destroyed Kubgbo bus terminal

Experts have called for thorough structural audit over the destroyed Kugbo bus terminal destroyed at the beginning of April. Daily Trust reports that the development has put the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike under scruitiny over the quality of execution of the property. Reacting to the development, a property law expert, Peace Anomneze while commenting on […]

Experts have called for thorough structural audit over the destroyed Kugbo bus terminal destroyed at the beginning of April.

Daily Trust reports that the development has put the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike under scruitiny over the quality of execution of the property.

Reacting to the development, a property law expert, Peace Anomneze while commenting on the issue noted that the damage to the Kugbo Bus Terminal  is deeply concerning.

She said  “A N51 billion public infrastructure project, not yet operational, already showing signs of failure? This is not about weather.

It is about standards and accountability.

She said as a legal practitioner in the real estate sector, a few critical questions arise: “Was due process followed in procurement and supervision? Did the project meet required structural and building standards?

“Have defects liability provisions been triggered against the contractor? Who certified the project as complete?,” she said

Speaking further, she noted that Public infrastructure must be fit for purpose, especially before commissioning.

“Anything less raises serious concerns about: Quality control, regulatory oversight and Value for public funds,”

On What next, she noted that there should be “Independent structural audit, full transparency on project execution, nforcement of contractor liability where necessary and Infrastructure is not just about delivery, it is about durability, safety, and public trust,”

Also, a structutal engineer, Basil Chawai, when asked whether the damage could be due to poor construction materials, other than just natural wind, he emsaid “Structurally, metal roofing systems, particularly the trusses, are designed to resist uplift, which is the suction force created when high-speed air passes over a roof. If a roof fails at lower speeds, it usually points to poor installation or poor material quality.

“It includes insufficient or low-quality fasteners, such as screws, welds, or clips; improper anchoring of the roof to the main structural frame; or poorly secured edges or ridges where the wind can get hold of the metal and rip it off,” he stressed.

He called for thourough structural investigation by the FCT adminstration on what must have caused the damage and take decisive action to avoid further occurrence of such nature.

 

Back story

The windstorm which damaged parts of the newly constructed Kugbo Bus Terminal in the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja recently.

According to a statement signed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, the incident, which occurred during heavy rainfall on Tuesday, also affected nearby infrastructure.

The statement said the windstorm had also affected sections of the bus terminal and also caused minor damage to the Nyanya pedestrian bridge and nearby buildings.

 

Terminal yet to commence operation

Checks by Daily Trust show that the damage came months after the Kugbo Bus Terminal was completed and inaugurated as part of efforts to modernise public transportation in the Federal Capital Territory.

The terminal is one of several projects aimed at improving safety, reducing traffic congestion, and curbing  crimes associated with informal transport systems.

The Kugbo Bus Terminal is among several completed transport projects in the FCT awaiting operational approval.

Mr Wike had said the facilities could not commence operations without approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He explained that the terminals, including those in Kugbo, Mabushi, and the Central Business District, were ready but required formal clearance before being put to use.

He noted that the delay was necessary to ensure proper structuring and management of the facilities in line with government plans for organised public transportation.

At the inauguration of similar facilities, President Bola Tinubu said the terminals would provide “a secure, well-regulated environment” for commuters and eliminate reliance on unregulated pick-up points.

The Kugbo terminal, along with others in Mabushi and the Central Business District, was also designed to enhance urban mobility and strengthen security in the city.

 

Billions spent to construct terminal

In May 2024, the federal executive council (FEC) approved N96 billion for the construction of bus terminals and other facilities in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Of that amount, N51bn was approved for the construction of bus terminals and other transportation facilities in the FCT.

In June 2025, Kugbo bus terminal was inaugurated.

The President said that FCT residents will no longer suffer the ‘one chance’ menace while commissioning the Kugbo Terminal, Thursday, 26th June 2025.

President Tinubu who was represented by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, noted that the Administration has heard the concerns of Abuja residents.

President Tinubu stressed that, along with upcoming terminal at the Eagle Square, Central Business District, the two inaugurated terminals in Kugbo and Mabushi would, “in no small measure, contribute to my government’s determination to turn around the fortunes of our people through improved connectivity, reduced travel time, and economic growth, thereby creating opportunities.”

In his address at the event, the FCT Minister, Barrister. Nyesom Wike expressed gratitude to the President for always supporting the FCT Administration.

The Minister recalled that the project was flagged off by the Senate President in July 2024 and is now being commissioned after ten months.

FCT Mandate Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi, who described the terminal as world-class, said it is both an intra-city and intercity terminal, which would serve Kugbo, Karu, Karshi, Nyanya, Mararaba, and surrounding towns, offering organised transportation for the thousands of daily commuters in and around the nation’s capital.

Dr. Elechi revealed that it features a one-storey building equipped with a 500-capacity departure lounge, three staircases, escalators, a family room for nursing mothers, a cinema, shops, and convenience rooms for both males and females, the physically challenged, as well as a praying space for Muslim faithfuls.