LAGOS TO CALABAR HIGWAY PROJECT: WHY IT CANT BE ACHIEVED

On March 7 2024, Nigerian Minister of works Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, spanning 9 States with two spurs leading to the Northern States.

The first phase of the project which is expected to be handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd will see the company construct a 47.47 kilometers dual carriageway on a concrete pavement.

The vision is that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road will usher in a new era of ambitious road infrastructural development projects in Nigeria. It is proposed to even eclipse the construction of the iconic Third Mainland Bridge that stretched over 11 kilometres across the lagoon.

According to reports, the Coastal Road will start from Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island in Lagos, and will pass through Lekki deep seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom states.

Meanwhile, according to Economic analysts, the project is expected to  increase the size of Lagos State economy by 50% once the first phase is done due to its connection to Lekki Deep Seaport and the Lekki economic corridor where Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is situated alongside other multinational industries.

SO WHY CANT IT BE ACHIEVED??

The project is the hottest news in the infrastructural industry in Nigeria at the moment as several people has called that the project be reviewed as it cant be achieved.

Meanwhile, the Minister refusal to categories how much the road will cost is a major problem as it is making Nigerian to wonder why they need to approve a project whose cost is unknown. Also the Minister’s excuse that it is impossible to predict the cost of materials several years in advance, while valid, would apply to any medium term project in the public and private sectors which is also a major concern to Nigerians.

Speaking from a political aspects and from history surrounding Nigerian government, Given the track record of Nigerian governments, it will amount to a major miracle if the road is completed in eight years. Also, the project continuity will also depend on if President Tinubu win his second tenure in 2027, if not it spells doom for the project knowing how long the project will last.

Earlier today, The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has already stated via his x account that “The Federal Ministry of Works 2024 capital budget of N892,461,262,656.00, additional funding from multilateral loan projects of N94,828,535,243.00, alongside other expected contributions from sources like the China-Exim Bank and the World Bank, will not be enough for serious work on all the critical roads, some of which I enumerated above, let alone their completion. So, why embark on another huge project that will not be completed in the next 20 or 30 years?

“In any development formula, the primary focus should be on completing and rehabilitating existing infrastructure rather than embarking on colossal new projects that may never reach completion within the next 30 years.”

The coastal highway will be one of the many critical transformative economic projects that will hallmark Tinubu’s presidency but how will it affect Nigerian economy knowing the fact that many people are uncertain about the projects, its budget & cost of material as well as and its conclusion date knowing how Nigerian political government works.

SOURCE: Vanguard