The Federal Government has officially renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway, saying the decision recognises President Bola Tinubu’s vision and role in conceiving the landmark infrastructure project.
Minister of Works David Umahi announced the decision during an update on the Federal Government’s legacy road projects. He said the ministry approved the new name after consultations with the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of State, directors and other senior officials.
“That highway is named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway. By the powers conferred on me as Minister of Works, in consultation with my Permanent Secretary, the Honourable Minister of State, directors and staff of the ministry, we decided to name it after him because of his dream for it,” Umahi said.
According to the minister, Tinubu first conceived the idea of the coastal highway about 27 years ago while serving as Governor of Lagos State. Umahi described the project as the fulfilment of a long-standing vision that has now become one of the Federal Government’s flagship infrastructure programmes.
Providing an update on construction, Umahi said work is progressing simultaneously across several sections of the 750-kilometre highway. He explained that Section One, stretching from Victoria Island to Eleko Village in Lagos State, covers 47.47 kilometres and includes a 25-metre median reserved for a future railway corridor.
He added that Section Two, running from Eleko Village to the Lagos-Ogun boundary, is about 60 per cent complete and is expected to reach substantial completion by the end of November, except for ongoing bridge construction. According to the minister, Section Three, a 75-kilometre stretch from Calabar, is about 30 per cent complete, while Section Four, covering 82 kilometres across Ogun and Ondo states, has reached approximately 20 per cent completion. Construction is also advancing on the 180-kilometre Akwa Ibom section.
Umahi also gave updates on other major federal road projects. He said work is progressing on the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, with construction taking place from several locations, including Ilela, Sokoto, Kebbi and Badagry. Once completed, he said the road is expected to reduce travel time between Sokoto and Lagos to about 10 hours at an average speed of 100 kilometres per hour.
The minister further disclosed that work is ongoing on the Trans-Sahara Highway, which is designed to improve connectivity between the South-East and the Federal Capital Territory through Ebonyi, Benue, Enugu and Kogi states. Together with the Akwanga-Maiduguri Highway, the projects form part of the Federal Government’s legacy infrastructure programme aimed at boosting transportation, trade and economic integration across Nigeria.
