David Umahi, minister of works, says the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be completed on May 29, 2025.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during an inter-ministerial press briefing as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary, the minister said after the project is completed, it will be tolled for five to 10 years to recover construction costs.
The construction of the highway began in March. The first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
“We started the coastal highway, 700 kilometers that is traversing Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, ” Umahi said.
“People did not understand the merits of this project. People did not see this project as an investment. And so today, the first section is going to be completed by May 29 and we’re going to toll it, and we’re going to get back our money within five to 10 years.”
According to the minister, the federal government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, as part of efforts to further enhance returns on the project.
“We also acquired a number of land within the corridor, because we’ve seen that tolling of roads alone is not just going to give you return on investment immediately,” Umahi said.
“So, along these corridors, we are acquiring land where we use for tourism, where we use for factories, where we use for housing and so on and so forth.”
Umahi also said the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf.
“This has long faced challenges due to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity. These constraints have necessitated the costly process of transloading, where goods are shifted between vessels, resulting in significant daily financial losses for Nigeria,” he said.
The minister further said the importance of the seven axle road under construction is to facilitate the seamless transportation of goods from the Dangote refinery, fertilizer plant, and other major industries within the Lekki free trade zone.
“This critical infrastructure will connect to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, ensuring smoother logistics and supply chains across key regions, including the North, south-west, south-south, and south-east,” the minister said.
Umahi added that the project is set to tap into the renewable energy potential along the coastal corridor, with plans to harness wind energy for future development.