Umahi announces completion date for first phase of Lagos-Calabar Highway

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced that the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be completed by May 29, 2025.

During an inter-ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, as part of Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary celebrations, Umahi revealed that Hitech Construction Company Ltd is executing the project’s 47.47-kilometre stretch.

The Lagos-Calabar highway, spanning over 700 kilometres, cuts across Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states. Umahi emphasised that tolls will be introduced for five to ten years to recover the construction costs.

“People did not see this project as an investment,” he said. “The first section will be completed by May 29, and we’re going to toll it, recovering our money within five to 10 years.”

To maximise returns, the government is acquiring land along the coastal highway to develop tourism, factories, and housing.

“We’ve seen that tolling alone won’t bring immediate returns, so we are investing in land for tourism, factories, and housing,” Umahi explained.

Additionally, Umahi highlighted the significance of the highway in easing transportation, particularly from the Apapa Wharf and the Lekki free trade zone, home to Dangote’s refinery and fertilizer plants.

The project also includes plans to harness renewable wind energy along the corridor for future development, ensuring the infrastructure’s long-term sustainability.