LAGOS — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday, May 31, 2025, officially commissioned a completed 30-kilometre stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, marking a key achievement as his administration clocks two years in office.
The commissioning ceremony, held in Lagos, highlighted progress on Phase 1, Section I of the 40.7-kilometre highway. The event also featured the symbolic commissioning and groundbreaking of several road and bridge projects across the southern region of the country.
Addressing dignitaries at the event, President Tinubu described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a flagship project under his Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to drive economic transformation through infrastructure investment.
“This project is not just about road construction. It is a symbol of unity, progress, and shared prosperity,” the President said. “It will connect nine coastal states and contribute up to $12 billion to the GDP annually within the first 10 years.”
The highway will link Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States. It is expected to reduce travel time, lower transportation costs, and unlock economic opportunities in trade, tourism, marine logistics, and agriculture.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, called the project a “game-changer,” noting its potential to create thousands of jobs and open up critical industrial corridors. He commended President Tinubu’s vision, the Federal Executive Council for approval, and the Ministry of Finance for providing counterpart funding.
“This road will revolutionise transportation and stimulate development in the South and beyond,” Umahi said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Works, Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructure development as a tool for national growth. He said enhanced connectivity remains vital to economic integration and prosperity.
In his goodwill message, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised the collaboration between government and the private sector, particularly the efforts of Hitech Construction Company. He described the highway as the “backbone of Nigeria’s economic revitalisation.”
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum said the highway exemplifies “leadership that delivers,” while Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State hailed it as a legacy project with “visible socio-economic benefits.”
Earlier, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Funsho Adebiyi, welcomed guests and expressed gratitude to President Tinubu. He said the project will serve not just the coastal states but the entire nation, calling it a “symbol of national unity and vision.”
In addition to the Lagos-Calabar Highway, several other completed projects were symbolically commissioned, including:
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Phase 1, Section I – Shagamu to Ibadan) in Ogun and Oyo States
Ikorodu-Shagamu Road in Lagos and Ogun States
Lagos-Badagry Expressway (Agbara Junction to Nigeria-Benin Border)
East-West Road, Rivers State – Dualisation of Section II (Eleme Junction to Ahoada)
Upgraded Section of East-West Road (Eleme Junction to Onne Port)
Akpoha Bridge Replacement, Ebonyi State
Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway (Section III: Enugu to Lokpanta)
Collapsed Bridge Reconstructed at New Artisan Market, Enugu
Alesi-Ugep Road (Iyamoyung to Ugep), Cross River State
Symbolically flagged-off new projects include:
Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha-Akure-Benin Road spanning Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Edo States
Nembe-Brass Road (Section II), Bayelsa State
107km Section of Enugu-Onitsha Dual Carriageway, Enugu and Anambra States
The event marked a high point in the second anniversary of the Tinubu administration, highlighting its focus on high-impact, long-term infrastructure as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth.
