President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday commissioned the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, alongside several major road projects across Nigeria, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, local content, and technology transfer.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony in Lagos, Tinubu directed the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, and other federal officials to ensure strict compliance with local content laws, training of Nigerians, and transfer of technical expertise in all ongoing and future projects.
The President also issued a stern warning to property developers, declaring that the federal government would no longer compensate those who flout building regulations or ignore legal setbacks.
“Let me warn all the developers that the Federal Government will enforce setbacks,” Tinubu said. “Developers who fail to get approvals will not be compensated. We have gazetted and published the setbacks, and we will enforce them in any way possible.”
He commended Hitech Construction Company for executing the first phase of the 700km coastal project using reinforced concrete pavement, which he said ensures durability and long-term value. The commissioned segment stretches from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in the Lekki Peninsula.
President Tinubu credited Engineer Ronald Chagoury for his earlier role in halting the encroachment of the Atlantic Ocean, which once threatened Victoria Island and Ikoyi. He described the achievement as “averting a disaster greater than a tsunami.”
As part of the event, the President also commissioned a series of completed road projects in the South-South region, including the Calabar-Ugep-Katsina-Ala Road in Cross River and Benue States, and the dualisation of the East-West Road in Rivers State.
Additional completed projects commissioned in the South-East include the rehabilitated Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Enugu-Lokpanta section), the replacement of a near-collapsed bridge in Ebonyi State, and the reconstruction of the Enugu Bridge at the New Artisan Market.
In the South-West, President Tinubu inaugurated the reconstructed Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Dual Carriageway in Oyo State, the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road in Lagos, and the Eko Bridge repairs, among others.
For the North Central region, the President commissioned the Shendam Bridge in Plateau State and the Ilobu-Enrile Road linking Kwara and Osun States. In the North East, he inaugurated the Jimeta Bridge in Adamawa State. The North West saw the commissioning of the Yakasai Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli Roads in Kano, and the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeja Road spanning Kano and Jigawa States.
President Tinubu also flagged off new road projects, including the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha-Akure-Benin Road, the Nembe-Brass Road in the Niger Delta, and the dualisation of the Kano-Maiduguri Road covering five northern states. The 107km Enugu-Onitsha Carriageway and the Zaria-Hunkuyi-Kufur-Gidan Mutum Daya Road in Kaduna and Kano states were also launched.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was present at the event, pledged the support of the National Assembly to the Tinubu administration’s efforts to revamp the country’s infrastructure and economy.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed that the federal government spent N18 billion in compensation to those affected by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. He added that all projects under the current administration are being implemented with a focus on sustainability and the welfare of Nigerians.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were several governors, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Chagoury brothers, and top industry figures including Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and UBA Group Chairman Tony Elumelu.
President Tinubu concluded his speech with an appeal to Nigerians for continued patience, expressing optimism about the country’s economic recovery. “Hope is here,” he said. “Our economy is recovering. The exchange rate is stabilising, and food prices are gradually coming down.”
