Presidency Sends Strong Signal to Developers, Flags New Era of Infrastructure

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restated his administration’s commitment to promoting local content, technology transfer, and Nigerian empowerment while commissioning the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and several key road infrastructure projects across the country.

Speaking during the commissioning ceremony in Lagos, Tinubu directed the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, and other cabinet members overseeing infrastructure projects to ensure strict compliance with local content laws and enforce technology transfer mandates.

In a firm warning to real estate developers and contractors, the President declared that his government will no longer compensate those who violate approved building setbacks or construct structures without proper approvals.

“Let me warn all developers: the Federal Government will enforce building setbacks. Those without proper approvals will not be compensated. These guidelines have been gazetted, and we will ensure compliance for the sake of urban planning and national interest,” he said.

He acknowledged the efforts of engineer Ronald Chagoury in mitigating the Atlantic Ocean’s encroachment and preserving parts of Victoria Island and Ikoyi. According to Tinubu, “We averted a disaster greater than a tsunami in Victoria Island and Ikoyi. I said we would do it, and we did.”

The President appealed for continued public patience and support, assuring Nigerians that economic indicators are improving. “Hope is here. Our economy is recovering,” he said, citing the recent stability in foreign exchange rates and a decline in food prices.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, he said, symbolizes a bold step toward infrastructural transformation. The section commissioned,  Phase I, Section I  stretches from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Eleko Village Area on the Lekki Peninsula. It forms part of a 700km corridor that will eventually traverse nine coastal states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.

Tinubu praised the Federal Ministry of Works and its staff, including Permanent Secretary Funso Adebiyi, and the Minister of State Works, Rt. Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, for their commitment. He also commended Hitech Construction Company for delivering a world-class highway using Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement — a method he said ensures durability.

In addition to the Lagos-Calabar corridor, the President also commissioned major road projects across all six geopolitical zones.

In the South-South, he unveiled rehabilitated stretches of the Calabar-Ugep-Katsina-Ala Road, the dualised East-West Road from Eleme Junction to Ahoada in Rivers State, and the upgraded Port Harcourt–Onne Port access road. Also included were rehabilitated sections of the Alesi-Ugep and Iyamoyung-Ugep roads in Cross River.

In the South East, Tinubu commissioned the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road (Enugu-Lokpanta section), a new bridge in Akpoha, Ebonyi State, and a reconstructed bridge at the New Artisan Market in Enugu.

In the South West, the President inaugurated the Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan dual carriageway (Section II in Oyo State), the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road, the fully repaired 4.1km Eko Bridge in Lagos, and the Deep-Sea Port Access Road stretching from Epe to Shagamu-Benin Expressway.

For the North Central region, he commissioned the Shendam Bridge in Plateau State and the Ilobu-Enrile road straddling Kwara and Osun states.

In the North East, the Jimeta Bridge in Yola, Adamawa State, was opened. In the North West, he flagged off the reconstructed Yakasai-Badume-Damargu-Marken Zalli Roads in Kano and the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeja Section II spanning Kano and Jigawa States.

President Tinubu also flagged off several new projects, including the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha-Akure-Benin Road (covering Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Edo), the construction of the Nembe-Brass Road, a section of the Enugu-Onitsha Carriageway (107km total length), and the Zaria-Hunkuyi-Kufur-Gidan Mutum Daya Road in Kaduna/Kano.

Other major projects kicked off include the dualisation of the Kano-Maiduguri Road (Kano-Wudil-Shuarin Section), the Kano Northern Bypass, and the construction of the Maiduguri Bypass Road.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who attended the commissioning, pledged continued legislative backing to support Tinubu’s infrastructure and economic agenda.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, revealed that the federal government spent N18 billion in compensation for those affected by the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway construction, noting that the President has mandated that all projects must prioritize sustainability and citizens’ welfare.

The event drew a high-powered audience, including governors from Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Borno, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Cross River, and Imo states. Also present were Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the Chagoury brothers, top contractors, and industry leaders like Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, and UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu.

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