Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway construction

The construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has entered a phase of stakeholder engagement and regional debate. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced that the project's service lane will affect 147 structures. While five structures face full demolition, 142 are expected to experience minimal impact. The federal government has committed to providing compensation to affected parties at the appropriate time.

While the Afenifere socio-political organization expressed support for the project's potential to reduce travel times, they raised concerns regarding the current route alignment. Specifically, leaders noted that the alignment appears to bypass the coastline of Ondo State. While the Minister of Works attributed these routing decisions to local soil challenges, Afenifere suggested that engineering solutions should be used to keep the highway closer to the Atlantic coast.

To protect the multi-billion-naira infrastructure, Minister of Works David Umahi has inaugurated the Coastal Highway Guards. Led by retired General Adekunle Shodunke, an initial deployment of 40 officers will provide round-the-clock security to prevent vandalism, such as the removal of reinforcement rods, and to monitor illegal occupation, hawking, and unauthorized vehicle use. This security measure follows reports of individuals sleeping on highway sections and the destruction of fences and blocks. The project is being executed by Hitech Construction Company Limited under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works.