The Federal Government has awarded the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to Hitech Road Construction Company.
The development was announced by the Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, during a meeting held in Lagos with engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works and the contractor’s team, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
Umahi emphasized that this project, which aims to enhance connectivity across the nation, reflects President Bola Tinubu’s strong commitment to Nigeria’s restoration and rapid development.
He stressed that President Tinubu is eager to expedite the project’s commencement as part of his efforts to improve the country.
The minister disclosed that this initial meeting was the first step in the process, with another meeting scheduled in two weeks to finalize the construction agreements.
The project will be executed as a Public Private Partnership and will be tolled upon completion, with the contractor already securing the necessary funding.
Phased construction, rail integration, and toll collection strategy
Umahi explained that the highway would be constructed in phases, with the completed sections being opened for use and toll collection.
The proposed route will link the Lagos-Badagry Expressway superhighway, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lekki Deep Sea Port Road, and connect various points in Northern Nigeria via Ogoja-Ikom.
The project, with an initial design length of approximately 650 to 700 kilometres, will also feature rail lines running in the middle of the main carriageways.
Umahi revealed that the project is expected to stimulate tourism and include industrial clusters, such as hotels, factories, housing estates, and other amenities.
The minister highlighted the innovative use of 11-inch-thick concrete roads with 20-millimetre reinforcement, which will support local cement manufacturing, boost steel production from Ajaokuta, and utilize Nigeria’s abundant bitumen resources.
In his words:
- “It is quite innovative and the giant of Africa is beginning to show her prowess and this is being revitalized by the captain of the ship, his excellency President Bola Tinubu.
- “So, this is beautiful. Another good news is that this is going to be built on a concrete road of 11 inches thick with 20-millimeter reinforcement.”
However, the minister acknowledged that the project would encounter challenges due to its passage through mangroves, mashy areas, flood plains, and various soil types. As a result, a combination of construction methods, including pile-supported decks, sand filling, and retaining walls, will be employed.
In Umahi words:
- “And so, there will be a combination of all kinds of construction methods, the deck on pile would be there, the sand filling would be there, the retaining walls would be there.
- “So, it’s a very ambitious project, quite technical and highly rewarding.”
- The second meeting, scheduled in two weeks, will focus on the business case study, allowing the project to progress to the design phase. Umahi noted that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a groundbreaking project, the first of its kind in Africa.
- “So, the second meeting will come up in two weeks where the business case study will be exposed to us, and we will give them a letter to own the project and then to engage in the design.
- “The Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Highway is the first of its kind in the whole of Africa,” he said.
Project significance and environmental considerations of the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
Nicholas Rizk, the consultant to Hitech Construction Company, highlighted that the chosen construction methods were well suited for a country with Nigeria’s vast landmass.
He emphasized that the project would traverse diverse topographical areas and benefit nine states along its route.
The highway will connect regions at both the national and international levels, serving as a vital link between South West, South East, South-South, Niger Delta, and other regions.
It will also integrate with existing federal roads, promoting economic and social development across the country.
In Rizk’s words: “We are connecting nine states and this road.
- “In addition to the integration at the national level for Southwest and Southeast, South-South and Niger Delta, it connects with the Federal Roads going from Lagos to Sokoto.
- “From Warri to Kaduna, from Port Harcourt to Kano-Maiduguri, and from Calabar to Maiduguri.
- “So as the Minister mentioned, we have this coastal highway that is more or less 10 to 12 kilometres away from the shorelines to consider the issue of erosion and the sensitive environmental areas.”
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will start at Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City, pass through the Lekki Coastal Road, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the Dangote Refinery, connecting Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, and reaching Calabar, Rizk explained.
Furthermore, he detailed how the project considered health, safety, and environmental factors, particularly in oil-producing areas.
Good news. However, what is the completion dare? And how mush is the contract sum?
Who are the private sector players involved in the PPP?
Since it’s Hitech, the private sector partner would be the Chagourys…
This man looks like he’s about to surprise us because we didn’t support him.
Hitech belongs to Tinubu.The way Tinubu cornered Lagos wealth is being replicated at Federal level. Tinubu’s appetite for material wealth is too dangerous. Hitech has always been preferred in all construction works in Lagos.
“If God Permit”
The nation and nationalities shall be well.
That will be a very good project, keep it up
It is very good that the road will be constructed using cement, but the placement of the railroad in the middle of the 2 lanes is a very wrong design that needs to be corrected. Considering the difficulties of controlling vandalism, pedestrian crossing, animal crossings and our Nigerianess, all governments should learn from the problems lagos state government is encountering on the Lagos-Badagry expressway that has the same design. Railroads in Nigeria should be elevated on concrete pillars. This design will safeguard vandalism more than anything like technology (aka cameras) that will be proposed later. It is better to have a great design rihht from the beginning that factors every possible problem instead of trying to expensively rectify when the problems start manifesting themselves.
Railways on pillars are only done when absolutely necessary because it costs a lot of money. It’s probably easier to construct overhead pedestrian bridges where required, than making the entire length of a railway elevated.
Your explanation is quite informative. Raising entire length of rails on concrete platform will more than triple construction costs. However, it can be used on particular sections on the route if topography, and other factors demand.
Did others bid for this project or it’s the pattern of allocating projects to themselves like they do in Lagos via same Hitech Construction we know to be owned by Tinubu, that did the bad work on Lekki Epe express for tolling, now the vultures are not pretending to steal. Nigerians open your eyes…..
Good question, because this project wasn’t made available to credible parties to bid. No due process
Doubt if an EIA was even done.
Hitech? The same company that does almost all of the major roads in Lagos?! It’s supposedly owned by Chagourys, but wouldn’t be surprised if Tinubu and his pals have an interest in the company. Anyway, hope the Public Procurement Bureau signed off on it.
They do have interest in HITECH. That’s one of Ambrose’s on doings. Cause he never awarded contracts to HITECH. Fashola as a Governor used same HITECH.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed, hoping for the best, but human capital is the bane, create newer opportunity for the people
Works?…
There’s no reason why works
will not continue 24/7…
daily night
and
day in this nationalities with a lots to do and many wants work to do and the nations needs these energy of mass and massive of young people who are eager to be put to use for national development and welfare of the nations and each family well being…
Day and night lets work continue….
I’ll choose to highlight and commend the developmental and the economic benefits to the country, the sub national entities and the indigenes along the project route from Lagos to PH/Calabar. I’ll expect that deliberate efforts are made to recruit indigenes in the communities along the route in the construction jobs so the communities would own it. Inspite of the obvious deal this project is btwn the current leadership in Nigeria and the Chagouris using HITECH as an SPV, I wish Nigeria and her people well. We’ll get there one good govt at a time, by God’s grace!
Sounds and looks great. However, Implementation and Maintenance
I think it’s a welcome development and a good idea of connectivity. But, I still feel this project is too massive for just Hitech, rather Julius Begger should be incorporated to handle some part of the work to make it more solid, fast and durable.
Most projects in Nigeria aren’t made to showcase quality, rather they’re created for personal benefits, because I totally agree with you why a company like Julius Berger isn’t the face of this project considering, its experience, quality and delivery in it’s services.
This is a good development! I had always ask myself why no one was thinking of having a coastal road and a straight and dedicated road from Lagos to Abuja…I am so happy this administration is doing the two simultaneously….
Nigerians being what we are! Will this ever be completed? Will this follow agreed standards?
If this govt . Cannot complete in recordtime
Will the next continue?
I pray fervently this will not be eventually added to the hundreds of abandoned projects in Nigeria.
This government is really thinking but they should not forget to put all other existing federal roads in good shape and not abandoned at the expense of newer projects….
Lagos- ibadan road still ongoing since Yaradua govt!!
What must be done at all must be done well and timely.
Am sorry for the wicked