Bennett Oghifo
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is firmly on course, dismissing criticisms of the project and describing it as a strategic investment capable of transforming commerce, employment and connectivity across the Niger Delta.
Umahi spoke during an inspection of Section 4B of the coastal highway in Ondo State, where he expressed satisfaction with the progress of work and commended HITECH Construction for its efforts in navigating difficult terrain and constructing access routes to facilitate movement along the corridor.
The minister said the Ondo section covers 52 kilometres, while the adjoining Ogun Section 4A spans 28 kilometres, with concrete pavement already being laid in parts of the Ogun section.
He said the contractor had indicated that the foundation of the Ondo section would be completed by December, after which concrete pavement would be laid within six months.
Umahi said the scale and complexity of the coastal road could not be properly assessed from an office, urging critics of the project to visit construction sites before questioning its cost.
“You have to come here and see what the cost per kilometre looks like,” he said, stressing that the project involved difficult terrain, water bodies and other engineering challenges.
The minister also defended the Federal Government’s financing arrangement for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, explaining that the government’s direct contribution was 30 per cent, while the remaining 70 per cent was being financed under the Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance (EPC+F) model.
According to him, the arrangement demonstrated that the project was an investment rather than simply a conventional government road project.
Umahi said the Federal Government was only undertaking two major new roads under the current administration—the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway—while several other projects being cited were rehabilitation or reconstruction of existing roads.
He listed the 260-kilometre dual carriageway from Makurdi to Ninth Mile in Enugu, the Bodo-Bonny Road, Enugu roads and the Mararaba-Keffi road among projects that were not entirely new.
The minister said the Makurdi-Ninth Mile project, valued at $954 million, was about 70 per cent completed.
He also noted that the completed Bodo-Bonny Road had, for the first time, provided a road connection between Bonny Island and the mainland.
Defending the coastal highway against critics, Umahi said the project would open up economic corridors for agriculture, commerce and education, while creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
He disclosed that more than 1,000 workers had already been employed by HITECH within the Ondo section alone.
The project, he added, was also contributing to improved security, as security personnel and local vigilantes were deployed along construction corridors.
Giving an update on the highway, Umahi said construction was progressing in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
According to him, 27 kilometres were under construction in Calabar, while the first 47-kilometre section in Akwa Ibom was more than 60 per cent completed. He added that the longest section in Akwa Ibom covers 180 kilometres on each carriageway, translating to 360 kilometres.
Umahi also explained why the route of the highway was altered from the initial proposal to run closer to the coastline.
He said the original route encountered peat soil extending to depths of about 50 metres, which would have required massive excavation and replacement with suitable fill material and sharp sand, making the cost prohibitive.
The route also encountered three major bodies of water, each about 3.5 kilometres wide, where bridge construction would have significantly increased the cost of the project.
The minister therefore said the route was adjusted to minimise major water crossings while maintaining the government’s objective of delivering the coastal highway.
He commended HITECH for what he described as its “doggedness,” technical competence and cordial relationship with host communities.
Community leaders, including Chief Thomas Kudembu, representative of Ahili Kingdom, and High Chief Lieh of Uyitola, expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for bringing the project to their communities.
The leaders pledged continued cooperation with HITECH and the Federal Government to ensure successful completion of the project.
Umahi urged Nigerians to support the coastal highway, saying the project represented a major intervention in infrastructure development.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration was committed to rebuilding Nigeria’s road infrastructure with durable construction standards, adding that the government’s objective was to ensure that newly constructed roads would require minimal reconstruction for decades.