Tinubu flags off key section of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu On Monday launched Section 3A/3B of the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Awi, Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State.

Represented by Governor Bassey Otu, the President highlighted the project’s role as an economic catalyst, a driver of job creation, and a key promoter of both intra- and inter-regional integration.

“This is not just a road project, it is a corridor of prosperity that will unlock vast economic opportunities, create jobs, promote cultural integration, and connect our Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone to national and global markets,” he said.

The 65km, three-lane dual carriageway, being built by HITECH Construction Company Limited, will feature continuously reinforced concrete pavement and is expected to be completed in 36 months. Governor Otu urged Cross River residents to rekindle their entrepreneurial spirit and take full advantage of the economic opportunities the highway will bring.

He added, “Relevant agencies are ready to provide soft loans, grants, professional guidance, and other incentives to support business operations.”

The governor also linked food security to national sovereignty, stating that the recently launched agricultural free trade zone would benefit from the coastal highway’s seamless evacuation corridor.

“Without food sufficiency and the ability to control our future, we risk becoming dependent on world economic powers,” he added.

Minister for Works, Senator David Umahi, also spoke at the ceremony, commending President Tinubu’s vision and dedication. He noted that only a leader like Tinubu, with the necessary capacity, could undertake such a monumental project.

Umahi described the initiative as “a legacy project 27 years in the making” and emphasized that launching it in Calabar made “a powerful statement of inclusion for the South-South region.”

Umahi committed to personally overseeing the project, stating, “I take full responsibility for the alignment, the cost, and the contractor. This is a national investment, not a political favour.”

He also commended HiTech for beginning work without advance mobilisation funds, describing it as “proof of their patriotism and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Umahi further warned underperforming contractors that any delays would not be tolerated.

The Federal Controller of Works in Cross River State, Engineer Olayinka Onafuye, affirmed his commitment to monitoring the project to ensure compliance with federal standards.

“I will be working with the contractors on ground on this section,” he said. “We will also be working in conjunction with the two host communities, Akamkpa and Odukpani LGAs, which means that I have to be up and doing until the road from this end is completed to standard.”