Minister of Works David Umahi says the Federal Government plans to complete the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within the next three years.
Umahi gave the projection during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, saying he believed President Bola Tinubu’s administration would deliver the project within the period.
“I believe that within the next three years plus, the president will be able to complete that project,” he said.
The highway, which began construction in March 2024, is designed to connect Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
Umahi said construction was ongoing across several sections, adding that five of the project’s nine sections were underway.
He identified Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Edo as areas where further work remained to be done.
“We have five sections running.
"We’re only left with Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Edo,” he said.
The minister said sand-filling, a major part of construction in coastal areas, had progressed on the sections already under development.
However, he did not provide a detailed timetable for completing each section.
The latest projection comes amid public debate over the highway’s cost, procurement process and the government’s decision to prioritise major infrastructure projects while many existing federal roads remain in poor condition.
Umahi defended the project, saying the government was also repairing existing roads within its major infrastructure programmes.
He disclosed that the funding arrangement for the projects involved 30% government funding and 70% loans from external financing institutions.
The minister also explained that the highway was being designed and costed in sections rather than through a single engineering design covering the entire route.
The government has described the coastal highway as a major transport corridor expected to improve connectivity and support economic activities across southern Nigeria.
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