… Anticipation grows as inauguration nears
The federal government has shelved and diverted the realignment of Lagos-Calabar coastal road projects.
The revised alignment – apart from preserving the community’s heritage – also avoids disrupting essential infrastructure, especially submarine communications cables.
As preparations for the project’s inauguration gather momentum, anticipation among stakeholders has continued to mount.
The official flag-off ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 26.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, designed to stretch 700 kilometres and pass through nine states, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited on an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+F) arrangement, where the bulk of the risk falls on the contractor, and the federal government provides counterpart funding.
The federal government commenced the construction in March 2024, beginning with the first phase of the project, which stretches 47.47 kilometres from Lagos.
With construction underway, the project heralds a new era of infrastructure development in Nigeria, as well as prospective tourism destinations.
The second segment is designed to extend approximately 55 kilometres from the Lekki Deep Seaport—where the first section ends—to the boundary between Ogun and Ondo states. This phase has received approval from the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
Umahi earlier revealed that the third section, beginning in Calabar, Cross River State, will start in July, pending finalisation and approvals from the BPE and Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Furthermore, other segments of the highway will be constructed independently, including a segment extending from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Bayelsa State and another from Delta State to Ondo State.
The 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.
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.
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,” he said.
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.
