FG Gives Approval for Major Road Projects Nationwide including Lagos-Calabar Coastal Route
Senator David Umahi
• Project will touch and impart every State in infrastructural development.
FG Gives Approval for Major Road Projects Nationwide including Lagos-Calabar Coastal Route.
The federal government has approved road infrastructure contracts worth N4.2 trillion, covering major highways and bridges across Nigeria, including the second phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road. Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this to newsmen yesterday in Abuja at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided by President Bola Tinubu.
According to Umahi, the projects are spread over several states, with a focus on enhancing connectivity, improving road safety, and supporting economic growth.
FEC also approved road construction projects worth N159.5 billion for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), targeting infrastructure development within the city and its satellite towns.
Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, disclosed the approvals during the post-FEC media briefing, where she detailed the major projects aimed at improving accessibility and urban development.
The federal government equally unveiled an ambitious plan to position the country’s creative and tourism sectors as key drivers of economic growth, with the potential to contribute at least $100 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating two million jobs. Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, made this known to newsmen yesterday after the FEC meeting.
The contracts for the nationwide road infrastructure included new constructions, rehabilitation of deteriorating sections, and expansion of critical routes, with many projects shifting towards concrete pavement for durability.
The largest allocation went to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with FEC approving N1.334 trillion for the construction of a 130-kilometre dual carriageway. This covers 65 kilometres in Lagos and Ogun states, and an additional stretch starting from Calabar through Akwa Ibom.
The project will be executed under an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) framework, with a 10-year maintenance plan.
FEC also approved N470.9 billion for the Delta State access road and N148 billion for the Anambra State access road to the Second Niger Bridge.
According to the minister, both roads will be constructed using concrete to ensure long-term resilience.
He explained, “Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Phase 2, Section 1) got N195 billion approval to undergo reconstruction under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), focusing on improving traffic flow and reducing congestion along the busy corridor.
“The Abuja-Kano road project, previously handled by Julius Berger, has been restructured into two lots following contract termination, including Lot 1 (FCT-Niger boundary): Expanded by 5.71 kilometres towards Kogi State and Lot 3 (Kano section): extended by 17 kilometres.”
Umahi said the total length of the project was now 118 kilometres, with solar street lighting planned throughout. Section 1 will be built with concrete, while Section 3 will use asphalt.
The reconstruction of three sections of the Lokoja-Benin road will be done entirely with concrete for durability at N305 billion, including Obajana to Benin (Section I): N64 billion; Auchi to Edo (Section II): N110 billion; and Benin Airport area (Section III): N131 billion.
A contract worth N3.571 billion was approved for an extensive structural assessment of the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge in Lagos. Umahi said this evaluation aimed to prevent further deterioration, building on findings from assessments conducted in 2009 and 2013, which identified progressive structural decay.
