The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a N1.07 trillion contract for the construction of the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Works Minister Dave Umahi said the pilot phase consists of a 47.47-kilometre dual carriageway of five lanes on each side and a train track on the middle.
The phase, according to him, is part of the 700-kilometre road, spanning nine states and with two leading up North.
Umahi, who dropped the hints while chatting with State House reporters after FEC’s meeting in Abuja, said the project will be constructed with concrete.
He said: “Today, we had the approval of FEC for the construction of 700 kilometre of coastal routes running from Lagos through the nine coastal routes or states up to Cross River, meaning that it goes to Lagos, the Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.
“But we also have two spurs that lead to the North, from the ongoing Badagry-Sokoto route and the one that leads to the Trans-Sahara route that goes from Ogoja down to Cameroon.
“Now, it is a dual carriageway and each carriage way has five lanes and a provision for a train infrastructure that will be at the middle”.
According to him, the FEC at its 30 October meeting approved the procurement of the project under the EPC+F (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing) and in favour of High Tech Construction African Limited.
He added: “They already have started searching for the funding, but hitches here are there. And so, the Ministry to go back to Mr. President to ask for two things and that was in 18 January. We asked can we fast-track this.
“Since this project was going to be procured in two phases and multiple sections, can we get the federal government to fund phase one, which is what is 47.47 kilometres running from Ahmadu Bello in Lagos down to Lekki Deep Seaport? Mr. President graciously approved.
“We also have the challenge of a lot of infrastructure on this on the road corridor. So, we requested Mr. President to approve that we realigned the road, so that we move closer to the ocean shore, and then avoid those properties which could lead to litigation. Mr. President also approved.
“But then that led to a new challenge. And the challenge is the need to start the project as quickly as possible as to protect, you know, the communities along the corridor.
“Today, we have procured the first section, which is 47.47 kilometres, under 10 lanes and FEC graciously approved the contract for N1.067 trillion with no objection.
“FEC also approved that the second section be procured, to be funded or federal government, which is about 57 kilometers and that runs from Lekki Deep Seaport to the boundary between Ogun and that is section two of phase one.
“Then the third section is to start from the end of the road, which is Calabar and that’s about 50 kilometres, and it’s procured under section three of phase one. It’s running from Calabar and going towards Akwa Ibom and towards Port Harcourt.
“Then the other sections and other places will still be under EPC+F in favour of High Tech Construction Africa Limited.
“The company is very well known in this kind of infrastructure development. An example is the Eko Atlantic Ocean such that would have swallowed the entire Victoria Island, and they’ve been able to conquer it under the same procurements.
“But, let me also announce that the road is going to be constructed with concrete and they are masters in that. You can see example in the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. They are also the same company that is constructing the deep seaport under the same concrete technology.
“Besides that, we also have good news about some of the projects that were awarded between 2006 and 2018. And of course, you know, the prices of construction materials, like in 2006 should be expecting asphalt to cost about N2000 per meter square, and today’s constant between N27,000 and N30,000 per meter square.
“And then we have another project that is the maintenance of Pankshin-Gindiri Road in Pankshin in Plateau state. It was awarded in 2017 and that the project has stopped. But today it has gotten great momentum from 10 billion to N20 billion.
“And then we have the third route the same thing, the route that is going from Mayo-Belewa-Jega-Kanya-Tungur Road in Adamawa state. It was awarded in 2018 and today it has been augmented from N21 billion to N43 billion in line with the realities of the construction market prices.
“And then, the last one is a road that is going from Yakasai-Badume-Damagum-Makin Zali in Kano state. This was awarded in January 2021 and it’s been documented from N12 billion to 17 billion.
“We were going to have a number of these roads stuck, but Mr President has directed that such projects should be reviewed in line with the realities of the present construction basic materials.
“So, we have over 1,000 roads that are going to undergo this kind of process to keep them alive. Most of them are inherited projects from the past administrations”, the minister said.
