Key points
- Works Minister Dave Umahi urged Lagos State to support construction of service lanes and drainage channels along the coastal highway.
- The additional works followed recent heavy rainfall and flooding in Lagos.
- Umahi said Lot 1 of the highway had been completed while Lot 2 was more than 80 per cent complete.
- He urged Nigerians to protect national infrastructure from vandalism.
Main story
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has called for stronger collaboration with the Lagos State Government as the Federal Government moves to construct service lanes and additional drainage channels along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi made the appeal on Sunday at a stakeholder engagement on the coastal highway and other Federal Government projects in Lagos.
He said the Federal Government would require additional support from the state to address infrastructure and drainage challenges along the highway corridor.
The decision to add service lanes and secondary drainage channels to Sections 1 and 2 of the project followed recent heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of Lagos.
Umahi said both levels of government needed to work together to address the challenges and ensure the highway delivers its intended benefits.
He also gave an update on the progress of the coastal highway, saying Lot 1 had been completed while work on Lot 2 was more than 80 per cent complete.
According to him, construction had also progressed in Calabar and Akwa Ibom, with more than 30 per cent of the work completed.
He said construction had commenced on the 180-kilometre section of the highway, describing it as the largest section of the project.
Umahi assured stakeholders that the Federal Government remained committed to completing the highway within the planned timeframe.
He urged residents and other beneficiaries along the corridor to support the project and protect the infrastructure being developed.
The issues
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major road infrastructure projects, but construction has faced challenges linked to flooding, drainage and the need to integrate the highway with existing local infrastructure. The proposed service lanes and additional drainage channels are intended to improve access and manage water around the affected sections.
What’s being said
“We must join hands to solve this problem for the sake of our people.” – Dave Umahi, Minister of Works:
“We have to come together to protect our national assets.” – Dave Umahi, Minister of Works:
What’s next
The Federal Government is expected to commence construction of the service lanes and additional drainage channels on Sections 1 and 2 of the highway, with the Lagos State Government expected to provide further support for the works.
Bottom line
The Federal Government is expanding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project in Lagos to include service lanes and additional drainage infrastructure following flooding concerns, with Umahi seeking greater support from the state government.
