Politics

Tinubu Launches N15 Trillion Lagos-Calabar Highway Project, Declares ‘It’s My Bragging Day’

Published by Tope Fakinlede on May 26th, 2024.

Tinubu Launches N15 Trillion Lagos-Calabar Highway Project, Declares ‘It’s My Bragging Day’

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, with an estimated cost of N15 trillion. The ceremony took place at 6:03 PM in Lagos, where Tinubu was joined by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and eight governors, including Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

During his address, President Tinubu emphasized the significance of the project, describing it as “my bragging day,” and outlined ten key benefits of the highway, which will traverse eight states. He confidently stated, “We will do this road. We are determined to do it.”

The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, set to span 700 kilometers and pass through nine states, has been awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited. This project follows an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+F) model, where the contractor assumes most of the risk, while the federal government provides counterpart funding.

Construction commenced in March 2024, with the first phase covering a 47.47-kilometer stretch starting from Lagos. Despite its ambitious scope, the project has faced criticism from major opposition figures, including Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.