Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Costs N7.5bn Per Kilometre – Umahi

The minister of Works, David Umahi has revealed that the construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway cost N7.5 billion per kilometre.

He also disclosed that investors were already queuing to refund government and toll the completed sections.

He disclosed the figure while signing a Memoranda of Understanding and contract agreements for eight major road projects across the country on Wednesday and Thursday in Abuja.

The minister in a statement by his senior special assistant on media Francis Nwaze described the projects as part of the growing legacy of President Tinubu’s administration.

“Today is another event that adds to the great work that President Bola Tinubu is doing,” Umahi said.

Umahi speaking on the progress of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, said the project had moved from skepticism to national admiration.

“When we started the coastal highway, 750km, people did not believe that it would be a reality.

According to him, by November, motorists will be able to travel from Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos through Sections One, Two and part of Section Four to Ondo State on completed portions of the road.

He added that Sections 3A and 3B in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States are ongoing, while Section Five covering 165.6 kilometres has also commenced.

Describing the coastal highway as more than a road project, Umahi said it was a long-term national investment designed to last for decades.

“This is not just a road project. I have always said that this is an investment that the President is doing, and this is a road that is going to last for another hundred years with no maintenance,” he said.

He commended HITEC Construction Company for what he described as speed, capacity and commitment to delivery, noting that the company has built a reputation for constructing up to one kilometre of road per day.

Umahi also explained that the cost of the projects include extensive drainage systems, reinforced pavement, concrete works and other durable engineering components.

“And for those who are asking us about cost per kilometer, we will be talking now at an average cost per kilometer, which is about N7.5b for a standard carriageway,” he explained.

“But this one is even with a lot of road architecture. You see the concrete poles, the drainage, the culverts, the reinforcement, the pavement. So it is not just a road. This is an investment.”

The minister further revealed that investors are already showing strong interest in the completed sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

“Just like in section one that we finished in Lagos, a lot of investors are begging to be given that section for them to toll and then give back our money even before they start tolling,” Umahi disclosed.

“So it is an investment, and it is only a person like President Bola Tinubu that can do this.”

The minister also revealed that the federal government has already procured the first 123 kilometres single carriageway of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Super Highway, stretching from Calabar through Ebonyi State to the Benue border. According to him, the newly signed section covers another 173 kilometres through Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa States, ending at the Oweto Bridge.

He further disclosed that government would soon procure the second carriageway of about 300 kilometres from Ndibe Beach to Oweto in Nasarawa State.

Umahi said the project would significantly reduce travel time between the South East and Abuja while boosting economic activities in the region.

“I want to say this without any apology the South East People will reciprocate what the President has done for the people. What happened in 2023 was an accident of history and in 2027, we will show our appreciation,” he stated.

“I was a governor, I was a deputy governor and we never witnessed federal government projects in South East but today, we may not be the first, or the second or the third but definitely, we are not the last.”

“So, we are very proud of what the president is doing in the entire South East and I pledge on behalf of the entire South East that we are going to reciprocate because with this project, any part of the South East you are, you will be in Abuja in 3 to 4 hours. And this is a plus to our commercial activities.”

The minister noted that five companies competed for the project before Infouest emerged successful, adding that the same transparent procurement process was adopted for the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway project.

On the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Umahi said Section IV covering the Oyo axis spans 360 kilometres, explaining that the project demonstrates government’s determination to spread development across all geopolitical zones.

“The President is President for the entire country. His four legacy projects are dotted throughout the six geopolitical zones,” he said.

He also highlighted progress on the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road project, explaining that President Tinubu insisted on changing the original asphalt design to concrete pavement to guarantee durability.

“The President said, ‘No, we want to do concrete road so that when we build it, it will last for a hundred years,’” Umahi stated.

The minister said the federal government would provide 30 percent counterpart funding for the projects, while 70 per cent would be sourced through loans. He added that tolling and strategic land acquisition along the roads would ensure long-term returns on investment.

“We neither review timing nor rates. The moment we sign, as we have signed now, that is the end of the matter,”.

The four major legacy project sections signed included: Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Superhighway, Section II: Ebonyi State Border – Benue – Kogi – Nasarawa States; Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Section IV: Oyo State; Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Section V: Akwa Ibom State; and Dualisation of Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road, Section II: Gombe – Biu

Other projects signed on Thursday, May 14, include:

1. Reconstruction of Mando (Kaduna) – Birnin Gwari Road in Kaduna State by Messrs J. Patel and Sons Nigeria Limited
2. Dualisation of Ibadan–Ijebu Ode Road in Oyo and Ogun States by Messrs JRB Construction Company Limited
3. Construction of Osogbo–Ikirun–Akoda Road in Osun State by Messrs Truecrete Solutions Limited
4. Construction of Osogbo–Iwo–Ibadan Road in Osun and Oyo States by Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited

Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Rafiu Olarinre Adeladan, described the signing ceremony as the successful conclusion of the procurement process and the formal commencement of project implementation.

Responding on behalf of the contractors, the Chief Executive Officer of HITEC Construction Company, Dany Abboud, assured the Federal Government of timely delivery and quality execution.

“Our commitment is always on the table. We are committed to delivering those jobs before the thirty-six months that were awarded.

“We commit to delivering a standard even better than what we have done on Coastal Highway Section One.” Abboud said.