The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has expressed satisfaction with the level of work on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, promising that the first 30 kilometre of the road will be made available for President Bola Tinubu to unveil on May 25, 2025.
The minister, who disclosed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, is also delighted with the quality of work done by the contractor so far, jokingly comparing it with the streets of heaven.
“The beginning of section one, as at today, about 15 kilometres by two carriage way on the average has been achieved, and at the end of the project at Eleko where section one stopped, about 5 kilometres has been achieved.
“So, the idea is by 25th of May 30 Kilometres continuously will be made available for Mr President to Commission from the beginning of section one down to kilometre 0 to 20,” Umahi said.
The section one of the highway according to the Minister runs from Victoria Island down to Lekki Seaport in Eleko area of Lagos State. He noted that about 17 kilometres will be jumped because of settlement.
Immediate tolling
Umahi said 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.
Umahi said that the President is more of an investment rather than a legacy project, adding that the President is no longer looking for legacy things.
According to him, the return on investment for the project will be very high which will benefit the Nigerian economy on the long run.
“When that is completed, I will be for immediate tolling engagement,” the Minister said.
Umahi said that the President is more of an investment rather than a legacy project, adding that the President is no longer looking for legacy things.
According to him, the return on investment for the project will be very high which will benefit the Nigerian economy on the long run.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is one of the major projects started by the Tinubu administration, but the project has attracted criticisms from many Nigerians, especially the opposition parties.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate in 2023, and the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, both slammed the award of the contract, saying that it wasn’t transparent enough.
Recently, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, also criticized the Lagos-Calabar Highway, labelling the N15.6 trillion project “wastful.”
Obasanjo shared this view in his new book “Nigeria: Past and Future,” which was released during his 88th birthday celebration last month.
But Umahi defending President Tinubu, maintaining the handling of the project has been transparent enough.
“The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu never recommended any contractor to me, never sent any contractor to me, never interfered in terms of the costing,” the Minister said.
He said that Obasanjo has always praised him when he was governor of Ebonyi for his transparency, adding the former President cannot say otherwise of him now.