President to commission multiple infrastructure projects, deliver ECOWAS golden jubilee keynote in Lagos
President Bola Tinubu is set to inaugurate Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway on Saturday, June 1, as part of his official visit to Lagos, the Presidency announced on Monday.
The 700-kilometre coastal highway, a signature infrastructure initiative under the current administration, is expected to significantly improve connectivity along Nigeria’s southern corridor. The inauguration marks a milestone in the first phase of the project, which stretches from Lagos to Calabar, traversing several coastal states.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Tinubu will also commission several other major infrastructure projects during the visit, including the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road constructed under the Tax Credit Scheme, the flag-off of Section II of the coastal highway, and the inauguration of the 7th Axial Road.
In addition to his activities in Lagos, President Tinubu will perform virtual inaugurations of several completed road projects in northern Nigeria. These include the Kano-Kanwar-Danja-Hadejiya Section II Road, the Yakasai-Zalli Road, and the Kano Northern By-pass. Other projects slated for remote commissioning are the Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai Section I, Dabai-Kafur-Malumfashi, and the Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe-Gidan Mutum Daya Section III.
ECOWAS at 50: A Historic Commemoration
The President’s visit also coincides with the continuation of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which he currently chairs.
Following the official launch of the golden jubilee in Accra, Ghana, in April 2025, commemorative events will be held in Lagos to honour the regional bloc’s legacy. One of the highlights will be a reenactment of the original 1975 declaration at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island.
President Tinubu is expected to deliver a keynote address during a high-level ceremony at the Eko Hotels and Suites, reflecting on ECOWAS’s milestones and challenges. He will be joined by retired General Yakubu Gowon, the only surviving signatory to the 1975 ECOWAS Treaty, who will deliver a commemorative speech.
Also speaking will be the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, who will deliver the welcome address. Former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, will lead a comprehensive review of ECOWAS’s five-decade journey, with insights from a panel of regional policy experts.
President Tinubu will also observe the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the State House Mosque in Dodan Barracks before concluding his visit and returning to Abuja.
