Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: NASS Confirms Quality, Pace Of Works, Declares Support
By ABAH ADAH, Abuja
To assure Nigerians of quality and timely delivery of the recently commenced construction of the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway, Minister of Works Sen. Nweze David Umahi, Permanent Secretary Adam Yakubu Kofarmata and other officials of the Ministry of Works led members of the Senate and House Committees on Works to inspect and verify ongoing construction works on Sections I and II at the weekend.
The Coastal Highway is one of four legacy highway projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
Flagged-off on 24th May, 2024,
it is an inter-state highway and economic corridor designed to traverse eight states along the coastal shoreline of the country starting from Lagos, South West and ending in Cross River State, South South, a total of 750 kilometres .
The contract awarded to Messrs Hitech Construction Africa Limited, includes the construction of a continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) dual-carriage highway with accompanying drainages and culverts, median barriers, street lightings, and the relocation of public utilities like electric cables, poles, gas and water pipelines as required.
Section I of the project is 103 kilometres in length and falls entirely within the Lagos State border. However, a phased execution of the project was adopted, for ease of construction beginning with Phase 1 of Section I, which is 47.4 kilometres in length; Ch.0+000 (Ahmadu Bello Way Junction, Victoria Island) – Ch. 47+474 (Eleko Village Junction). Phase 1, Section II has a total length of 55.6 kilometres beginning from Ch. 47+474 – Ch. 103 + 000 (Ode – Omi, Lagos-Ogun Border.)
The tour of duty commenced at the beginning of Section I, where the Minister thanked the Members for the oversight visit, stating that they were witnesses to the level of work done beneath the completed portion before cement was applied.
According to him, decades of continuous dumping of refuse necessitated the removal of substantial quantities of unsuitable materials, underground.
Engr Umahi informed them that plethora of court cases and petitions are slowing down the flow of work, but added, however, that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice had set up a legal team to deal with all pending cases in court.
He appealed to the law makers to advise other committees of the National Assembly to always liaise with them before summoning officials of the ministry on matters relating to project.
He urged aggrieved parties to stop playing politics with the viable project, but approach the courts to seek redress like others, adding that Mr President had approved the payment of compensation to owners of properties within the project’s corridor, even to those with illegal structures.
“We have a lot of people who are not interested in this job being done. Everything government wants to do, some people want to thwart it,” he lamented.
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On the Section II, the Minister informed the visiting legislators that the President had also given approval for the extension of the 7th Axial Road passing through the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Deep Sea Port, built by Messrs Dangote Industries, on Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, to be linked with the Coastal Highway, adding that the two sections will be linked via a cable bridge, as obtained in other climes like Dubai, UAE.
Briefing them, the Deputy Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Engr Musa Seidu said works were going on concurrently at the two sections of the project.
This was collaborated by the Acting Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Engr Olufemi Dare, who added that demolition of structures on the alignment had reached an advanced stage.
The Managing Director of the construction company, Mr Dany Abboud, assured the visiting team of timely completion of the project in line with designed specifications.
Speaking, on behalf of other members, the 10th Senate and its leadership, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Mpigi Barinada said he was convinced that the project was at no point abandoned as speculated,
Urging the Ministry not to hesitate in approaching them on any thorny issue concerning the project, Barinada appealed to the Minister to urgently consider the other sections of the highway passing through the Niger Delta.
Contributing, the Minority Whip of the Senate and a member of the Committee, Sen. Osita Ngwu, tasked the ministry to regularly update Nigerians about the pace of the project.
On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, pledged the commitment and support of the leadership and members of the House towards successful and scheduled completion of the project, commending Mr President for the legacy project expected to boost socioeconomic activities along that corridor, and the Minister’s zeal.
Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Onyechachi Nwebonyi, who dubbed the project as a game changer, applauded Mr President, the Minister and Contractor, stressing that the project upon completion will be of tremendous benefit to Nigerians economically.
Having seen it for themselves, they unanimously agreed that the 29th May, 2025 delivery day for Section I of the project is certain, if not earlier, according to a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Works, Mohammed A. Ahmed.