FG Announces Opening of Coastal Highway on Friday, December 12

Dave Umahi, Federal Minister of Works

The federal government has announced that it will, tomorrow, Friday, December 12, 2025, temporarily open Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, measuring 47 kilometres and stretching from the Ahmadu Bello Way junction to Eleko village junction.

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The federal Ministry of Works, which made the announcement in a statement obtained by BusinessDay, explained that the temporary opening of the highway complies with the directive of President Bola Tinubu to provide easy access and traffic movement in Lagos during the festive period.

The federal controller of works in Lagos, O.E. Dare, disclosed in the statement that the opening ceremony, scheduled for 10am, will be held at Ahmedu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, thus fulfilling a promise earlier made by the government.

Read also: Coastal highway: FG assures of completing, opening Section 1 December

David Umahi, Minister for Works, during an inspection tour of the coastal highway project on November 23, 2025, assured that Section 1 would be completed and opened to traffic between December 12 and 17, 2025.

The opening of the highway is expected to end the harrowing driving experience endured by commuters in the Lekki-Ajah corridor. It will not only reduce their travel time by over 100 percent, but also travel cost by the same measure, if not more.

Umahi assured further that April 2026 has been set aside to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 for full commissioning, excluding the bridges, which are part of the Section 2 contract.

“This job must be completed. We are here on the president’s directive to ensure that the carriageway is opened for public use by December. We have agreed with the contractor, and that is what we are assessing now.

Everything will be done to provide unfettered access to this section from the beginning to the end of it and beyond,” the minister emphasised.

Read also: The Lagos-Calabar coastal road project: Dead weight or victim of lifeless narrative?

Dany Abboud, the managing director of Hitech, the contractor handling the project, said, “We are on track to deliver with dredging and backfilling continuing from Chainage 34 to Chainage 37.

We are monitoring settlement in the swampy areas and water bodies due to the change of alignment,” he said, assuring that they would work day and night to ensure Section 1 is completed and opened as the minister had promised.

Umahi reasoned that the opening of the highway would mark a key milestone in the federal government’s efforts to enhance Nigeria’s road infrastructure and connect the nation’s coastal regions efficiently.