Lagos-Calabar Highway first phase to be ready by May 2025 – Umahi
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has assured Nigerians that the first section of the Lagos-Calabar Highway is set to be completed by May 29, 2025.
The construction of the first phase of the monumental project, which stretches 47.7 km within Lagos State, starting from Ahmadu Bello Way, commenced in March 2024 by Hitech Construction Company Limited.
Meanwhile, Umahi said upon completion, the road would be tolled for 5 to 10 years to recover construction costs.
He disclosed this while inspecting an evacuated but now refilled section of the road that was once a dump site on Monday, October 7, 2024.
“I am very happy with the work and people have been asking me that we say that 47-kilometre will be commissioned by May 29, and they are counting months for me, and they are counting months for Hitech. But I have no fear about what Hitech is doing. First, it is good quality work; the most difficult aspect of this is the settlement of the sand.
“The first section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is going to be completed by May 29th and we are going to toll it and we’re going to get our money back within 5 to 10 years,” Umahi said.
The Works Minister revealed that the Federal Government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, coupled with the tolling.
He said all the initiatives are part of the efforts to further enhance returns on the project.
He stressed that the Lagos-Calabar Highway was designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf, which had long been dogged by challenges related to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity.
Lagos-Calabar Highway to be completed in 8 years
The 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Highway project is designed to run across nine states along the coast, beginning from Lagos and terminating in Calabar, the Cross River capital.
It’s aimed at improving connectivity and boosting economic growth along Nigeria’s coastline.
The project was contracted to Hitech Construction Company Ltd. under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+F) arrangement, where most of the financial and construction risks are assumed by the contractor, with the federal government providing counterpart funding.
Construction officially began in March 2024 with the first phase starting from Ahmadu Bello Way.
Umahi had set eight years for the completion of the full 700-kilometre highway, with multiple sections beginning simultaneously once procurement, approvals, and other necessary processes are finalised.
