The Federal Government has approved the design of the 1000-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway, according to the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
The minister made the announcement during an inspection visit to the km 47 axis of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project in Lagos.
“I am happy that Mr. President has also directed me to start the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway,” Umahi said. “This one is a spur of the Coastal highway, and that one is 1000 kilometres. We have started the design and I’m very sure that as soon as the Federal Executive Council approves it, we will be starting at the Sokoto side, which is the zero point.”
The coastal road is expected to connect the South-West, South-South, North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions of Nigeria when completed. Umahi also highlighted the government’s plan to connect the six geo-political zones in the country with a network of roads that would foster a more secure, safer, and sustainable transportation system.
In addition, Umahi mentioned another spur that would connect Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja to Cameroon, spanning 361 kilometers and passing through Otukpo, Benue, Nasarawa, and ending at Apo in Abuja.
During the inspection, the minister noted the need to realign the coastal highway around the axis of the Lekki Deep Sea Port at km 47 by constructing a flyover bridge across the Dangote/Hitech concrete pavement to align with the economic values of the coastal highway.
“We have chosen another alignment that is going to be parallel to the road that is going to the Lekki Deep Seaport at kilometre 47, and that is the end of section one of phase one,” Umahi explained. “So, we are very happy with that decision. We use a flyover to fly over the Dangote-HiTech Road that is coming from Lekki Deep Seaport going to Epe and joining the road that is going from Lekki Deep Sea to Lagos being done by the State Government.”