The Federal Government spent funds to address waste excavation and road design modifications on the Lagos section of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road.
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, disclosed this on Monday during an inspection of the project, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Umahi explained that the expenditure became necessary after engineers discovered a 50-year-old refuse dump more than 10 metres deep and spanning two kilometres, forcing a change in the highway’s alignment to preserve existing infrastructure.
He also highlighted challenges posed by properties along the route, including Landmark Beach, which required adjustments to the original road design.
“When we started from Kilometre Zero, we encountered Landmark Beach infrastructure and a number of other properties along the way. We decided, as a responsible ministry, to vary the design of the project,” Umahi said.
“The implication is that we left the coast and came to a new alignment that was not designed for the project,” he added.
Umahi further noted the scale of the waste issue, stating, “We also encountered a refuse dump that had been over 50 years old, with a depth of over 10 metres and spanning two kilometres. When we encountered it, we had to stop the work for more than four months.”
According to NAN, “He said that tackling the challenge cost the Federal Government N15 billion.”
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Mr. Dany Abboud, managing director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd., confirmed that major excavation work was carried out between Kilometres 3 and 9, replacing waste material with sand to stabilize the road.
“The largest dump sites were at Kilometres 4 and 9, which required careful removal and replacement,” Abboud noted.
- Umahi also directed that all videos, drawings, and project documentation be preserved to account for the additional works and costs incurred.
- Earlier in June, Umahi disclosed that the Federal Government had procured contracts worth over N3 trillion for sections of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway spanning Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States.
Section I, which begins in Lagos, was procured at N1.068 trillion, with 30% of the contract sum already disbursed. Section II, which includes several flyovers and crosses swampy terrain linking to the Dangote Refinery, was awarded at N1.6 trillion.
Additionally, Sections III A and III B, covering the Akwa Ibom and Cross River segments, were jointly procured at N1.33 trillion.
