President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate commencement of construction in sections three and four of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.
This was revealed by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi during a major infrastructure update at the third stakeholders meeting of the project on Thursday.
Umahi said, “Let me announce that Mr. President has directed that section 3 that is starting from Calabar and section 4 starting from Akwa Ibom, should commence immediately and we’re in the process of concluding the procurement.
“For those who have been saying why not start this road in Calabar? One, the zero point is Lagos and what wrong has Lagos done to such people? However, an impartial president of the federal republic of Nigeria, Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that section 3 and 4 be started from the end of the project. So while this (Lagos end) is moving, the other one will be moving.”
Umahi added that subsequent sections, such as 5 and 6, are expected to begin in locations like Port Harcourt and Bayelsa. “I’m sure that sections five and six will start in places like Port Harcourt and Bayelsa. You may be critical about these projects and the section they are starting. Don’t forget that section 1 is 47.7. That is an ambitious project for any state or interstate road,” he said.
The directive follows recent changes to the highway’s alignment to avoid ancestral lands and protect critical infrastructure, including submarine cables in Lagos State.
During the meeting, Umahi revealed that the highway would be diverted away from the shoreline for 9 kilometres, before reverting to its original route. This adjustment aims to safeguard vital installations like the 2Africa submarine cable and a 50-megawatt power plant, which are crucial for national security and the internet gateway.
Spanning a staggering 700 kilometres, the coastal road aims to link Lagos and Calabar, two major economic hubs, while traversing through key cities and states along the Nigerian coastline. The project’s scope encompasses multiple sections, each meticulously designed to optimise efficiency and address the diverse needs of the communities it serves.
At the heart of the project lies a commitment to excellence and innovation. Section one, totaling 47.47 kilometers, has undergone a comprehensive redesign, with an alignment that prioritises both functionality and aesthetics, according to the Minister of Works.
He highlighted, “We have fully redesigned section 1, which is 47.47km, ending at Lekki, ending at that road at Eleko in Lekki. That has been fully awarded and procured and we can say that we’ve done everything possible to put human face in the alignment and realignment as Mr. President directed. We’ve taken hard decisions and we’re happy that our decisions have human face.”
According to Umahi, although he has been met with significant challenges, the design of section 2 has also been concluded. “We have also concluded the design and we have awarded section 2, which is starting from Lekki deep sea port and is ending at the border of Ogun State and Ondo State.
“We have redesigned a number of sections there and we have a couple of challenges because we are looking at… ‘how is our train coming from Ahmadu Bello way?’
“It’s going to intercept the train that we are proposing that will take things from the port. It means that more than three height levels will be involved. We’ve isolated about three or four sections there, to critically look at it, but we’re going to be getting the train tracks and the flyovers and the road in three different levels.
“Our design team will isolate and make four different proposals to us and we get all the stakeholders and we take decisions by the second week of June.
“It will be a thing of beauty, the decision we have made to pass through the deep sea port, it’s a beautiful place with a number of flyovers,” the minister said.
With construction underway, the project heralds a new era of infrastructure development in Nigeria, as well as prospective tourism destinations.The minister assured that the coastal highway will have “befitting” tourism centres along its corridors up until the 700th kilometre, ushering in a wave of prosperity for the region.
He said, “Let me also say that the new corridor is going to have befitting tourism centres and the lands are going to be made available by the relevant departments of government and Nigerians will be opportuned to leverage on that and then plan the tourism of this country. and it’s not just stopping in Lagos it’s also going to go up to the 700th kilometre.”
Furthermore, Umahi said that Return On Investment will begin immediately the first section of the highway is completed
