The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has directed that two television stations should be taken to the project site of the Lagos-Calabar Highway every week to show sections of ongoing work to the public.
This directive was given by the Minister during an inspection tour of the project and some bridges in Lagos, as part of the transparency initiative by the Federal Government.
The project has been bedevilled by transparency concerns and lots of allegations of violations of bidding processes.
Umahi said Nigerians need to know what is happening with the project, noting that when the road is completed, people may not understand the effort that was put into it.
What the Works Minister is saying
Umahi said, “People need to know what is happening here. It takes courage for the contractor, for the ministry, and for Mr President who approved this project.
”When the road is completed, Nigerians may not understand the effort that went into it, so we must showcase it.’’
The minister noted that some sections required removal of poor materials to depths of between five and 20 metres before refilling with stone lumps and sand.
According to him, such deep fillings were critical for the road’s durability.
“I am very happy with Hitech. No other contractor would have done this. Their equipment and workforce remind me of an anthill, with trucks and machines working everywhere.
” There are so many unwritten things being done here for the stability of this job,” he said.
Umahi commended the quality of sand filling, stone base, and reinforcement, describing Hitech Construction Company as “highly courageous and committed to national development.”
He added that the ministry would continue to approve certificates for payment without delay since the works had been verified on site.
Detailed records for the project
The minister, during the inspection, also directed the project managers and engineers to maintain meticulous records for the Lagos-Calabar Highway.
Umahi said all construction levels must be carefully documented, emphasising the need for detailed documentation before the end of September.
He said, “All the levels, from existing ground level to levels after removing bad soil, refilling, and pavement, must be put together and shared with oversight bodies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the National Assembly.
“When the job is done, people may forget, so these records are important.’’
What you should know
The 700 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship road projects, aimed at boosting connectivity, trade, and development across coastal states.
The project was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+F) arrangement, with most risks borne by the contractor and the federal government providing counterpart funding.
Construction began in March 2024, starting with the first phase, a 47.7 km stretch within Lagos State.
Meanwhile, a former Lagos State ADC gubernatorial candidate, Funso Doherty, had, in July 2025, announced that he had, through his lawyers, served a pre-action notice to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), citing alleged violations of bidding processes in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
According to the seen documents, one picture shows the pre-action notice, dated July 4, 2024, served to the BPP for awarding the N15 trillion project to Hitech without competitive bidding, contrary to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
The other picture, a statement dated March 15, 2024, announced his plan to serve pre-action notices to the BPP, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Attorney General of the Federation if they did not address violations of public procurement processes and environmental impact assessment requirements within 30 days.
What of the Dualization of kano- Maiduguri Road for years now, the road was not completed.
Guess it’s time for TV stations to join social media ‘influencers’ in getting some of that N15 trillion…LOL!
The World’s Capital of Extreme Poverty decided to prioritize a vanity “coastal” highway amidst global warming and rising ocean levels. SMH