FG Renames Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway After Tinubu, Approves Multiple Infrastructure Projects

FG Renames Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway After Tinubu, Approves Multiple Infrastructure Projects

• Minister Umahi says 750km coastal highway renamed to honour President’s 27-year vision, as Tinubu greenlights Fourth Legacy Highway extension and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction

The Federal Government has officially renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the multi-trillion-naira infrastructure project as the fulfilment of a vision the President conceived nearly three decades ago while serving as Governor of Lagos State. Minister of Works David Umahi announced the decision on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja, stating that the Ministry of Works arrived at the decision after extensive consultations with the ministry’s leadership. The 750-kilometre coastal highway, estimated to cost about ₦15 trillion upon completion, will now be known as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway.

“That highway is named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway. By the powers conferred on me as Minister of Works, in consultation with my Permanent Secretary, the Minister of State, directors and staff of the ministry, we decided to name it after him because of his dream for it,” Umahi declared. According to the minister, Tinubu first conceived the idea of the coastal highway about 27 years ago while serving as Governor of Lagos State. “He had that dream about 27 years back as governor of Lagos State. It is one thing to dream and another thing to have the grace of God to actualise that dream. This is one man who dreams and has the grace and divine mandate to actualise that dream,” Umahi said.

READ ALSO:

• BREAKING: Hamzat Didn’t Know Running Mate Until APC Picked Her
• Court Strips FRSC of Powers to Operate on State, Local Government Roads
• Trump limits Nigerian, other foreign students to four-year US stay under new visa rule

Umahi described the first section of the 750-kilometre highway, stretching from Victoria Island to Lekki, as a landmark infrastructure milestone. He noted that the 47.47-kilometre six-lane carriageway features a 25-metre-wide median reserved for a future railway line. Providing an update on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi said construction was progressing across several sections of the project. He said the first phase, stretching from Victoria Island to Eleko Village in Lagos, is serving as a benchmark for modern highway construction, while the second section, from Eleko to the Lagos-Ogun boundary, is about 60 per cent complete and expected to be substantially delivered by November. According to him, construction is also ongoing in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun and Ondo states.

During the same briefing, Umahi announced that President Tinubu had approved several other significant infrastructure projects across the country. The President approved an additional 400-kilometre extension to the Fourth Legacy Highway, expanding the project from about 700 kilometres to 1,100 kilometres. The highway, originally designed to link Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Maiduguri in Borno State through Jos, Bauchi, Gombe and Biu, will now extend into Taraba State. “The greatest story is that yesterday President Bola Tinubu approved the addition of 400 kilometres to our Fourth Legacy Road. That is an 800-kilometre road now extended to 1,100 kilometres, and that is unprecedented,” Umahi said.

Additionally, Tinubu approved the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway using reinforced concrete pavement, a decision Umahi said was driven by the road’s deteriorating condition despite recent repairs. The 135-kilometre dual carriageway has begun to fail despite being less than five years old, and the ministry believes reinforced concrete roads can last between 50 and 100 years with minimal maintenance. The President also approved the completion of the abandoned Ibi Bridge in Taraba State, the construction of the 5.76-kilometre Lau Bridge across the Benue River, and the dualisation of another 400 kilometres of the East-West Road. Umahi stated that these road development approvals across the country would promote connectivity, strengthen national integration, and stimulate economic activity nationwide.

Since construction commenced in March 2024, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has generated widespread public debate. Critics have questioned the project’s cost, procurement process, and alignment, with concerns also raised over the demolition of properties along parts of the route. The Federal Government, however, has consistently defended the project, maintaining that all due processes were followed and insisting that the long-term economic benefits outweigh the initial challenges associated with its execution. Government officials have argued that the road will reduce travel time, improve connectivity and unlock investment opportunities along Nigeria’s coastline. The coastal highway is designed to connect Lagos to Calabar, traversing several coastal states and providing a major transportation corridor expected to boost economic activities, tourism, trade and regional integration. The project is regarded as one of the Tinubu administration’s flagship legacy initiatives, with sections of the highway already nearing completion.

FG Renames Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway After Tinubu, Approves Multiple Infrastructure Projects