By Bello Hamza, Abuja The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. Nweze David Umahi (CON), has praised the ongoing progress...
By Bello Hamza, Abuja
The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. Nweze David Umahi (CON), has praised the ongoing progress and quality of work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a hallmark of excellence and innovation under the Renewed Hope administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).
Senator Umahi gave this commendation during an inspection visit to Sections I and II of the project in Lagos, being handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd, on December 20, 2024.
Highlighting the importance of the project, the Minister stated that a review of the awarded sections would soon take place to incorporate additional features designed to enhance its socio-economic value. "We're going to plant trees. And of course, we are going to also have some lay-bys. We can decide every five kilometers we have a lay-by where we connect all our CCTV cameras. And then we have vehicles and security within the cabin there, so that the response time will be like 10 minutes.
"I'm sure that you've witnessed what we did at Third Mainland Bridge. That's what we intend to replicate in all our highways. The entire stretch of 750 kilometers to Calabar will be under CCTV, powered by solar. Every five kilometers or 10 or 15, as we may agree, we will have portal cabins with security posts, viewing centers, and a full monitoring system. The service lane, CCTV cameras, and other features were not initially envisaged in the original design," he explained.
The Minister commended President Tinubu’s vision for initiating legacy projects that connect critical economic corridors across the six geopolitical zones, boosting Nigeria's transportation infrastructure. He assured that several sections of these projects, including the inherited ongoing ones, would be ready for commissioning by May 2025.
"Work is progressing on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway is also seeing significant progress. For instance, the first 120 kilometers of the Sokoto section has been procured, and work is ongoing. We are optimistic that about 20 kilometers in both sections of this project will be ready for commissioning by May 29th. Similarly, we expect to commission the first 20 kilometers in Section I and 10 kilometers in Section II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway," he noted.
Senator Umahi highlighted the inclusion of train tracks in the design of the Coastal Highway, with construction expected to commence in 2025. He applauded President Tinubu’s prioritization of road infrastructure, even amid competing demands in other critical sectors of the economy.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Olukorede Kashia, recounted challenges encountered at the project’s commencement, including the discovery of extensive refuse dumps. "We encountered a lot of unforeseen issues. For instance, we found refuse dumps of about five meters depth in some places. The contractor has since carted away the waste and replaced it with good soil, using sand filling from the ocean," she said.
Other speakers at the event included the Acting Director of Highways Road Design, Engr. Saidu Musa, and the Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd, Dany Abboud.
The Minister reaffirmed the administration's commitment to delivering road infrastructure that would meet the expectations of Nigerians, positioning the country for economic prosperity.
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