President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the first completed section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and unveiled 30 major road infrastructure projects across Nigeria, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to infrastructure-led development, job creation, and economic recovery.
At a ceremony held in Lagos, President Tinubu inaugurated the 30-kilometre Phase I, Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, stretching from Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island to Eleko in the Lekki Peninsula. Constructed with reinforced concrete, the three-lane dual carriageway is expected to reduce travel time and boost regional integration, real estate, and agricultural development.
Speaking at the event, the President emphasised the need for strict adherence to urban planning laws, warning developers encroaching on road setbacks that the government would no longer pay compensation for structures built without approval.
“Let me warn all developers that the Federal Government will enforce setbacks. Developers who fail to get approvals will not be compensated. We have gazetted and published the setbacks, and we will enforce them in every way possible,” he declared.
President Tinubu also urged contractors to prioritise local content and train Nigerian engineers to ensure knowledge transfer and sustainable infrastructure development.
He appealed to Nigerians for continued patience, assuring them that economic recovery is underway with signs of stabilised foreign exchange and easing food prices.
“Hope is here, and our economy is recovering,” he said.
Major Road Projects Inaugurated
As part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu virtually inaugurated several other major road and bridge projects across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. These include:
South-South Region
Rehabilitation of Calabar-Ugep-Katsina-Ala Road Section II (Benue/Cross River)
Dualisation of East-West Road Section II (Eleme Junction–Ahoada), Rivers
Rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep Section, Cross River
Upgrading of East-West Road Port Harcourt (Eleme Junction)–Onne Port Junction, Rivers
South-East Region
Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Road Section III (Enugu-Lokpanta)
Construction of a new bridge at Akpoha, Ebonyi
Reconstruction of Enugu Bridge at New Artisan Market, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road
South-West Region
Expansion of Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriageway Section II, Oyo
Rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Shagamu Road, Lagos
Emergency repairs on 4.1km Eko Bridge (Alaka–Apongbon)
Construction of Deep Sea Port Access Road (Epe–Shagamu–Benin Expressway), Lagos/Ogun
North-Central Region
Construction of Shendam Bridge, Plateau
Construction of Ilobu-Erinle Road, Kwara/Osun
North-East Region
Inauguration of Jimeta Bridge, Yola, Adamawa
North-West Region
Reconstruction of Yakasai Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli Roads, Kano
Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeja Section II (Kano–Jigawa)
New Projects Inaugurated
President Tinubu also virtually inaugurated new infrastructure projects:
Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha-Akure-Benin Road (Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo)
Nembe-Brass Road
Section of Enugu-Onitsha Carriageway
Zaria-Hunkuyi-Kufur-Gidan Mutum Daya Road (Kaduna/Kano)
Dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri Road (Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno)
Kano Northern Bypass and Maiduguri Bypass Roads
Ministerial and Stakeholder Support
Senate President Godswill Akpabio hailed the inauguration as a sign of tangible progress and pledged continued support from the National Assembly. Minister of Works David Umahi disclosed that the federal government had paid N18 billion in compensation for those affected by the Lagos-Calabar Highway project.
Governors from Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Borno, Ekiti, Kogi, Cross River, Imo and others attended the event.
Dignitaries present included Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, industrialists Aliko Dangote and Abdulsamad Rabiu, and UBA Group Chairman Tony Elumelu.
Minister Umahi reiterated that all federal road projects under the Tinubu administration are designed with sustainability, resilience, and long-term benefits in mind.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway alone has a lifespan of 50 to 100 years,” he said.