The Federal Government has announced plans to flag off the construction of the Cross River section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway by next week.
It stated that the construction of the Cross River section, known as Section B3, will commence on April 14, 2025, while the flag-off of construction at Akwa Ibom will be performed on April 15, 2025.
According to NAN, this was disclosed by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, at a stakeholders’ engagement on Section Two of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project in Lagos on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
This is coming barely three days after the minister revealed that 30 kilometres of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road starting from section one will be made available to President Bola Tinubu on May 25 for inauguration.
What the Minister is saying
Umahi said, “We are going there, to Cross River, on 14, to flag off the construction. By 15, we also go to Akwa Ibom to flag off.
“That 65km is the worst terrain. It is 65km times two, which is 130km.’’
On the second legacy project, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, the minister noted that one section in Sokoto was 120km.
He said, “The third section of Sokoto-Badagry is going to start from Badagry, but we have a few challenges.
“We have rivers of three kilometres to cross. That is a lot of money.
“We have proposed four options, which I am going to be discussing with Mr President, and whichever option he chooses, that is what we are going to choose.”
Umahi gave the assurance that procurement regarding the project would start as soon as the discussions were over, after which work would start.
What you should know
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which has attracted criticisms from some Nigerians, is one of the major projects started by the Tinubu administration on assumption of office.
- President Bola Tinubu had on May 26, 2025, in Lagos, flagged off the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, estimated to cost about N15 trillion.
- The 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states, before culminating in Cross River.
- The project, which has caused some buildings to be demolished, has attracted a barrage of intense criticisms from many Nigerians who strongly felt that the timing of the project was wrong, but Works Minister David Umahi said the project is in the best interest of Nigerians.
Umahi had earlier said that he would be recommending to President Tinubu that the first section of the road, which he said will be completed by the end of this year, be tolled.
He said that the President sees the project more as an investment than as a legacy project, adding that the President is no longer focused on legacy initiatives.
