The federal government, along with the contractor handling the construction of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, has assured Nigerians that Section 1 of the highway, measuring 47 kilometres, will be completed and opened to traffic in December 2025.
The opening of the highway is expected to end the harrowing driving experience endured by motorists who commute to and from the Lekki-Ajah corridor. It will not only reduce their travel time by over 100 percent, but also travel cost by the same measure, if not more.
Umahi, who gave the assurance during an inspection tour of the project on Sunday, stressed that December 12-17 has been set aside to publicly open the section for public use, without stopping work. He added that April 2026 has also been set aside to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 for full commissioning, excluding the bridges, which are part of the Section 2 contract.
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“This job must be completed. We are here on the president’s directive, working for the people, to ensure that the carriageway is opened for public use by December. We have agreed with the contractor, and that is what we are assessing now. Everything will be done to provide unfettered access to this section from the beginning to the end of it and beyond,” the minister emphasised.
He reasoned that the opening of the highway would mark a key milestone in the federal government’s efforts to enhance Nigeria’s road infrastructure and connect the nation’s coastal regions efficiently.
The Minister commended the contractor for the good and painstaking job they have done so far, noting that, in some cases, unexpected soil conditions required deeper excavation, which explained why he argued, “if we are to pay for everything they have done, it would cost us a lot more; they are partners in progress for the development of the country.”
Umahi disclosed that only three kilometres of sand-filling work remained between Ahmadu Bello Way and Eleko Junction.
Dany Abboud, the managing director of Hitech, the contractor on the project, said the company is “on track to deliver,” with dredging and backfilling continuing from Chainage 34 to Chainage 37.
“We are monitoring settlement in the swampy areas and water bodies due to the change of alignment,” he added, assuring that they will work day and night to ensure Section 1 is completed and opened as the minister had promised.
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The Minister used that event to address the court case instituted by one Okengwu Stella of Winhomes Limited, where she claimed that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project affected her $250 million investment. He disclosed that her suit was struck out for lacking merit.
He noted that “since initiating the action, Okengwu has made several public allegations against him, claiming that the highway route was diverted into a supposed Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos, thereby jeopardising investment said to be worth over $250m.
However, what has been presented publicly as a ‘residential development’ is in substance only a gatehouse structure without further development on the site,” the minister said.
Continuing, he said, “the Federal High Court held that Okengwu lacked the locus standi to institute the action, having admitted through their filings that they no longer held any proprietary interest in the land. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action against the defendants.
