The Federal Government will commence stakeholder engagements today, June 29, 2024, in Akwa Ibom, and on June 30 in Cross River, to discuss the proposed alignments for sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Calabar-Southeast-North Central-Apo Abuja Superhighway.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, will lead the session in Akwa Ibom, presenting plans for Sections 3B and 4 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Attendees will include Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, legislative committees, ministers, royal leaders, technocrats, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecom providers, and the media, according to the Ministry’s website.
“The Honourable Minister will on Saturday, 29th, and Sunday 30th June 2024 hold this session of the stakeholders’ engagement in Akwa Ibom and Cross-River States, respectively.
“In Akwa Ibom, he will present and discuss the proposed alignment for the construction of Sections 3B and 4 of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project passing through the State,” the statement read in part.
The statement highlighted that the stakeholders’ meeting will help communities along the routes understand the project’s potential to boost industrialization, tourism, agriculture, trade, and investment, thereby enhancing economic competitiveness and national prosperity.
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, the Works Minister, alongside Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu and other key attendees, will discuss the proposed alignment of Section 3A of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and a 92 km segment of the Calabar-Southeast-North Central-Apo Abuja Superhighway passing through Cross River State.
These road infrastructure projects, once completed, will create historic national interconnectivity, linking major transportation routes across Northern and Southern Nigeria, the statement noted.
What you should know
The construction of the 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway began in March 2024, awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+F) arrangement, where most risks are borne by the contractor, with the federal government providing counterpart funding.
The first phase, stretching 47.7 kilometres from Eko Atlantic to Eleko in Lagos State, marked the project’s commencement.
In May 2024, Works Minister David Umahi announced that construction in the South-South states of Akwa Ibom and Cross River would begin once the procurement process was complete.
The highway’s construction will proceed concurrently across various sections, with the planned start of Sections 3B and 4 in Akwa Ibom and Section 3A in Cross River.
Meanwhile, the 477-kilometer Calabar-Southeast-North Central-Apo Abuja Superhighway will connect Calabar to Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa States, ending in Apo, Abuja.
