President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday inaugurated the first section of the ambitious Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, urging strict compliance with national planning laws and reiterating the federal government’s resolve to prioritize local expertise and skill development in its infrastructure agenda.
Speaking at the ceremony held in Lagos, the President instructed the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, and other officials supervising projects nationwide, to enforce adherence to local manpower involvement and knowledge transfer on all ongoing contracts.
He cautioned real estate developers against flouting urban planning regulations, declaring that the government would no longer issue compensation for structures built without proper approvals or outside legally recognized setbacks.
“We have gazetted and published the required setbacks. Developers must respect them. Those who do not obtain proper approvals will forfeit claims to compensation,” Tinubu warned.
The President singled out Engineer Ronald Chagoury for his contributions to the fight against coastal erosion, crediting his efforts with preventing what he described as a major environmental threat to Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
“We kept our word and averted what could have been a devastating disaster,” Tinubu said, referring to the successful protection of the Lagos coastline.
He called for continued public patience and expressed optimism about the direction of the economy, citing improved exchange rate stability and food price moderation as early signs of recovery.
The commissioned portion of the highway—Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in the Lekki axis forms part of a 700-kilometre project expected to connect several southern states, including Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
Tinubu praised the construction firm, Hitech Construction Company Ltd, for adopting reinforced concrete pavement technology, which he said offers durability and long-term cost savings.
Other road projects inaugurated span across all six geopolitical zones. In the South-South, the President opened the upgraded Calabar-Ugep-Katsina-Ala Road (Section II), the dualised East-West Road from Eleme Junction to Ahoada, and the reconstructed Alesi-Ugep section in Cross River. Rivers State also witnessed the unveiling of a 15km stretch of the East-West Road between Eleme Junction and Onne Port.
In the South East, completed works include the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Section III), a newly built bridge at Akpoha in Ebonyi, and a replacement for the failed bridge near New Artisan Market in Enugu.
The South West saw the rehabilitation of the Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Expressway (Section II), repairs on the Ikorodu-Shagamu route, emergency maintenance of the Eko Bridge, and the completion of access roads linking the Deep Sea Port through Epe to the Shagamu-Benin Highway.
In North Central, President Tinubu commissioned the Shendam Bridge in the Plateau and the Ilobu-Erinle road straddling Kwara and Osun States. In the NorthEast, the spotlight fell on the newly opened Jimeta Bridge in Adamawa.
Kano State hosted the commissioning of the reconstructed Yakasai-Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli roads and the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeja road, part of which extends into Jigawa.
Several fresh projects were also launched. These include the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha-Akure-Benin corridor, the Nembe-Brass Road, and a section of the Enugu-Onitsha carriageway. Others include the Zaria-Hunkuyi-Kufur-Gidan Mutum Daya road in Kaduna and Kano; dualization of the Kano-Maiduguri Road (Kano-Wudil-Shuarin section); and the construction of bypasses in both Kano and Maiduguri.
The event drew top government officials, business leaders, and dignitaries. Notable attendees included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, business magnates Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and Tony Elumelu.
Senator Umahi disclosed that N18 billion had been disbursed as compensation to those affected by the Lagos-Calabar project, adding that the President directed that all infrastructure projects prioritize the welfare of Nigerians.
Governors from Lagos, Delta, Ogun, Edo, Bayelsa, Borno, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Cross River, and Imo states were also present at the commissioning.
