The Immense Potential Benefits of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway :
To hear Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s President, tell it, the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is more than just a road; it is nothing short of a symbol of hope, unity, and prosperity for all Nigerians.
There has been a palpable buzz of excitement and high expectation across the length and breadth of Nigeria since the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the country’s highest decision-making body, gave the green light for the commencement of work on one of the most ground-breaking infrastructure projects in Nigeria’s history – namely, the construction of the first phase of a coastal road that will link Lagos on the southwestern axis of Nigeria, with 8 other states spread across the South-Western and South-South geopolitical regions of the country. Estimated at about N1.06 trillion, this massive investment outlay, government officials say, underscores the Tinubu administration’s commitment to enhancing transportation networks and promoting economic growth across the benefiting areas in particular, and the country in general. They also say that the project would not only transform transportation networks, it would also increase trade, foster regional development, and help in the actualization – within a reasonably short period – of Nigeria’s goal of becoming a modern, inter-connected economy.
The President himself, while commissioning the first phase of the road project in Lagos as part of activities marking the first anniversary of his administration, was suitably effusive in his appraisal of the project and its potentials. “Today is my day TO BOAST,” he gushed, adding, “The dream … to build a nation of prosperity is possible. We said we would build this road, and we are determined to do it. … It will be a success for Nigeria … .” Noting that the over 700-kilometre proposed highway would connect communities and create opportunities for at least 30 million young Nigerians (as regards improved access to production and marketing centres) as well as facilitate the unfettered movement of people and goods, the President added that the project would also complement the expansion of the country’s maritime industry in the wake of the recent decision by the United Nations to grant Nigeria an extension of its continental shelf by an additional 16,300 square kilometres. “We must take advantage of these opportunities,” he said, adding that the establishment of more export processing zones along the coastal states must now be an urgent priority.
Indeed, in a nation so lavishly endowed with abundant natural resources and enormous human potential (but which has long struggled with the poor infrastructure that has severely impeded its developmental aspirations) it would be hard for any patriotic and right-thinking Nigerian to begrudge the President and other stakeholders the palpable enthusiasm and hope that has been engendered by the Lagos-Coastal Highway project.
The sheer scale of the project, as well as its minutest details, all speak of the enormity of the task at hand, and the impact it is set to have on its environs, the natural environment and the economy as a whole. The highway, as its name implies, will connect Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub, to Calabar, the Cross River State capital. Beginning at the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos, it will pass through the states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom (all of which lie along Nigeria’s coastal shoreline) while vertically linking the A1, A2, A3, and A4 highway corridors from north to south.. According to the handlers of the project, its first phase will span 47.47 kilometres, with 5 lanes on each side (with a rail track in the middle – as part of an ambitious plan to facilitate both road and rail transport along the same corridor). The design also provides for two additional spurs that will connect the road to the northern states of the country, notably with the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway – currently at the procurement stage – the African Trade Route which connects the South-East geopolitical region to neighbouring Republic of Cameroon, as well as the massive rehabilitation of 330 roads and bridges across the nation – thereby connecting every region of the country, and bolstering the unique economic strength of each region.
Also, the road’s durability, strength and sustainability will be guaranteed by the use of concrete throughout the construction process.
Experts believe that the project’s success would serve as a blueprint for future infrastructure developments across the country, demonstrating how strategic investment and comprehensive planning can drive national progress, reshape Nigeria’s transportation landscape and herald a new era of connectivity.
Among the key challenges of this iconic project, which the Tinubu administration says it is addressing and in respect of which the President has repeatedly called for public understanding, comes from individuals, corporate organizations and communities whose landed and other properties (and livelihoods) would be negatively affected by the project. The government has already unveiled a comprehensive compensation plan for those impacted by the initial stretches of the road. Another challenge is the fluctuating costs of materials to be used for the construction, and what short and long term impact this might have on budget projections in respect of the project implementation and date of completion.
Essentially envisaged as a public-partnership partnering (PPP) initiative, the project – according to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, signals the government’s readiness to welcome private investors’ financial contributions. “The model of EPC+F ( Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, Plus Finance) which the ministry is adopting,” he said, “sees the Federal Government investing, while waiting for private investors to bring on board their counterpart funds.”
The far-reaching significance of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project is underlined by the fact that it has received the unqualified endorsement of stakeholders (especially at the sub-national level) whose domains are NOT its direct beneficiaries in terms of its passing through their states and communities or conferring its short-term developmental benefits on them. Dissenting voices exist, to be sure, but they are few and far between, as the overwhelming attitude among Nigerians from all backgrounds and political affiliations concerning this transformative projecthas been: “What’s not to like?” Among the latest voices to express support for the project are the respective Governors of Lagos, Kwara and Imo States – in the persons of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, and Hope Uzodinma – who exemplify the wide-ranging support and vote of confidence the landmark project has received from sub-national entities across the country for the landmark project. Other expressions of support have also come from traditional rulers, including from communities whose lands and forsets would bear the brunt of the massive construction project. One of them, the Oniru of Iruland in Lagos State, Oba Abdulwasiu Lawal, has assured the Federal Government that, in spite of the sacrifices and losses his community and peopke are about to incur, they would ensure the removal of all bottlenecks in the way of the project’s progress and successful completion.
President Tinubu shares something in common with the company handling the lion’s share of the project, namely, Hitech Construction Company, an indigenous Nigerian firm which, since establishing itself name as a leader in the construction industry, has successfully handled some of the most challenging big-ticket contracts in the country: they are not fazed by challenges, no matter how daunting. Praising the company for being worthy stakeholders in the future of Nigeria, the President recalled Hitech’s role in the infrastructural regeneration of Lagos, where he was Governor from 1999 to 2003. “Together, we worked to tame the Atlantic,” he said, in reference to the massive effort that stopped the Atlantic Ocean from encroaching into certain sections of the shoreline in the state and the Lagos metropolis. “We turned a disaster into an asset of great value …”
Indeed, the value of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway cannot be easily quantified. Arguably the largest contiguous infrastructure project in Nigeria’s history, it will shorten travel time between the far reaches of Nigeria’s Southwest and South-South regions, further binding the people in a bond of common socio-economic destiny and making it easier to move people, goods and services from the various current (and prospective) ports along the nation’s coastline to the hinterlands.
When completed, this ‘asset of great value‘ promises to ensure that future generations have a good landmark to treasure, while also serving as a reference-point for successive governments to follow in the timely provision of world-class infrastructure.