FG Scales Down Ambitious Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project to Six Lanes

The Federal Government has dropped a proposal to review the ambitious Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project from the initial ten lanes to six. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said during a tour of the highway on Friday.

The review became necessary due to variations in the initial designs and additional interventions, such as the evacuation of refuse up to 10 meters deep and backfilling of affected areas.
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“Umahi said that the review had become necessary because of variations in designs and interventions such as the evacuation of the refuse of 10 metres depth and backfilling,” the NAN report read in part.

The Minister highlighted ongoing efforts to preserve certain structures along the project corridor, attributing these initiatives to the support and magnanimity of President Bola Tinubu.

The Minister of Works, Engineer David Umahi, has said the Federal Government would require a long-term loan to complete the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and other legacy projects.

According to him, there was no way the Federal Government could achieve the completion of ongoing infrastructure projects with budgetary appropriation, hence the need for loans.

He said: ”When you look at the magnitude of projects inherited by the president in 2024, in addition to the ones he initiated, there is no way we can do it through budget’s appropriation. We are thinking that, you know, we must encourage the president to get a loan.

“All the nations of the world use loans to invest in infrastructure for return on investment. And don’t forget that all these legacy projects, and of course, the major economic corridor that Mr President is doing, we are going to toll it.   “We acquired land by the side of the corridor for infrastructure development, and that is going to enhance return on investment.

He explained that part of the available land would be repurposed to include a service lane for the community. The project review will also address gaps in the initial design, with specific adjustments such as constructing a retaining wall in areas like the Landmark section to ensure stability and durability.

He further stated that the entire 750km stretch of the road would be equipped with solar-powered streetlights, security cameras, and strategic security points, alongside tree planting to enhance environmental protection and aesthetics.

Umahi assured that 20km of the first section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would be among other critical road projects scheduled for inauguration by May 29, 2026.

On the progress and quality of work being done on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, the minister described it as a “signature of excellence and innovation on road infrastructure development by the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“We’re going to plant trees. And of course, we are going to also have some lay bay. We can decide every five kilometres we have a lay bay where we connect all our CCTV cameras. And then we have vehicles and the security within the cabin there so the response time will be like 10 minutes. I’m sure that you’ve witnessed what we did at Third Mainland Bridge. That’s what we intend to replicate in all our highways.

“And so, the entire stretch of 750 kilometres to Calabar will be under CCTV, powered by solar. Every five kilometres or 10 or 15, as we may agree, we will have a portal cabin where we have security posts, no blocking of the roads, we have a viewing centre, and then you view the entire stretch left and right. We will agree on the number of kilometres, depending on the capacity of the cameras,” he said.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a 700-kilometer project that will run from Victoria Island, Lagos to Calabar, Cross River State. The highway will pass through Ogun State, Ondo State, Delta State, Bayelsa State, Rivers State, and Akwa Ibom State, before ending in Calabar. The project is intended to connect the western and south–eastern regions of Nigeria and to improve cross-country connectivity and trade relations