Key points
- Minister says Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Expressway will improve national connectivity.
- FG says President Tinubu is rebuilding ageing road infrastructure with more durable designs.
- Traditional rulers raise concerns over coastal erosion threatening Ayetoro community.
Main story
The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, says the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway will strengthen regional integration and transform connectivity across Nigeria.
Umahi spoke during a meeting with traditional rulers in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State while inspecting the Ondo section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway late Wednesday.
He said many road projects currently being executed by the Federal Government were inherited from previous administrations but required extensive rehabilitation because of their deteriorating condition.
According to the minister, the Tinubu administration is prioritising durable road infrastructure capable of serving the country for the long term.
Umahi said the President had directed the Ministry of Works to adopt prudent engineering solutions in delivering the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He explained that further soil investigations along parts of the route informed adjustments to the project’s design, noting that constructing bridges across every crossing would have made the project excessively expensive.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr Akin Alabi, commended the minister for what he described as his pragmatic approach to infrastructure development.
Also speaking, the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, expressed optimism that the coastal highway would improve transportation in the area.
The monarch, however, urged the Federal Government to address the persistent sea incursion affecting Ayetoro community to safeguard the new infrastructure.
The issues
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Expressway are among the Federal Government’s flagship transport projects aimed at improving connectivity, supporting trade and promoting economic development. Concerns remain over engineering challenges and the impact of coastal erosion on some communities along the route.
What’s being said
“Today, roads are being built to last. In the past, many roads deteriorated within five years,” said Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi.
“As much as we appreciate the ongoing project, we want to call the attention of Mr President to the sea incursion in Ayetoro community,” said the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo.
What’s next
Construction will continue on the highway while the Federal Government advances work on other sections of the project and considers concerns raised by host communities over coastal erosion.
Bottom line
The Federal Government says its flagship highway projects are designed to improve connectivity and economic integration, while host communities are urging authorities to address environmental threats that could undermine the infrastructure.
