The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a flagship infrastructure project under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, is poised to deliver substantial economic benefits to Nigeria.
Designed to connect nine coastal states and facilitate access to key ports and commercial hubs, the highway is expected to significantly transform national trade and logistics.
Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, speaking at the commissioning of a completed segment of the highway, projected that the initiative could contribute up to $12 billion annually to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within the first decade of its operation.
“This project is more than just a road — it is a transformative engine for national development,” he stated. “By linking coastal states and opening up critical trade corridors, it will stimulate growth across sectors such as agriculture, industry, tourism, and marine commerce.”
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, highlighted the project’s rapid progress and cost efficiency. According to him, top-tier international financiers, including Deutsche Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa, have visited the project site and commended the quality of work being executed. They described the project as “undervalued,” acknowledging the impressive pace and standards achieved so far.
Umahi further disclosed that, despite the positive attention from global financial institutions, no foreign loans have yet been secured for the highway’s development. Instead, Hitech Construction, the main contractor, has self-financed the project to this point.
“Hitech has invested its own resources, and currently, the work is approximately 80 percent completed,” he revealed. “International observers were genuinely impressed by the project’s speed, quality, and the clarity of the President’s vision.”
In spite of the lack of foreign funding, tangible milestones have already been achieved. A 30-kilometre stretch from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in Lagos has been completed ahead of schedule — a testament to the project’s effective planning and execution.
President Bola Tinubu, while inaugurating this section, commended the progress and reaffirmed the project’s strategic importance. “It is with great honour and a sense of fulfilment that I commission this completed phase — Phase 1, Section 1 — of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” the President remarked.
As work continues on the highway, its completion is anticipated to play a crucial role in boosting regional integration, attracting foreign investment, and redefining the landscape of infrastructure in Nigeria.