Minister of Works David Umahi has stated that the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be completed on May 29, 2025.
Speaking at an inter-ministerial news briefing in Abuja on Thursday as part of celebrations commemorating Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, the minister stated that once completed, the project will be tolled for five to ten years to recover construction costs.
Construction on the highway began in March. The first phase of the project, consisting of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway, was given to Hitech Construction Company Limited.
Umahi said:
“We started the coastal highway, 700 kilometres that is traversing Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.”
“People did not understand the merits of this project. People did not see this project as an investment. And so today, the first section is going to be completed by May 29 and we’re going to toll it, and we’re going to get back our money within five to 10 years.”
According to the minister, the federal government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, as part of efforts to further enhance returns on the project.
“We also acquired a number of land within the corridor, because we’ve seen that tolling of roads alone is not just going to give you return on investment immediately,” Umahi said.
“So, along these corridors, we are acquiring land where we use for tourism, where we use for factories, where we use for housing and so on.”
Umahi also said the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf.
He said:
“This has long faced challenges due to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity. These constraints have necessitated the costly transloading process, where goods are shifted between vessels, resulting in significant daily financial losses for Nigeria.”
The minister added that the seven-axle road under construction is important for facilitating the seamless transit of commodities from the Dangote refinery, fertiliser plant and other significant companies within the Lekki free trade zone.
“This critical infrastructure will connect to the Sagamu-Benin Motorway, ensuring smoother logistics and supply chains across key regions, including the north, south-west, south-south and south-east,” according to the minister.
Umahi also stated that the project intends to capitalise on the coastal corridor’s renewable energy potential, including plans to harvest wind energy for future growth.