FG Renames Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after Tinubu

The federal government has renamed the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway after President Bola Tinubu on the premise that the project was conceived by him during his stint as governor of Lagos.

David Umahi, minister of works, announced the decision on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja.

The minister also shared that Tinubu approved the extension of the fourth legacy highway by an additional 400 kilometres, the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with reinforced concrete pavement, the completion of the abandoned Ibi bridge in Taraba state, the construction of the 5.76-kilometre Lau bridge and the dualisation of an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West road.

Umahi said the ministry decided to rename the highway in recognition of Tinubu’s vision for the landmark infrastructure project.

“That highway is named President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway,” he said.

“By the powers conferred on me as minister of works, in consultation with my permanent secretary, the minister of state, directors and staff of the ministry, we decided to name it after him because of his dream for it.”

The minister said Tinubu conceived the idea almost three decades ago.

“He had that dream about 27 years back as governor of Lagos state. It is one thing to dream and another thing to have the grace of God to actualise that dream. This is one man who dreams and has the grace and divine mandate to actualise that dream,” he said.

Umahi added that work was progressing across multiple sections of the 750-kilometre coastal highway, with the first section from Victoria Island to Eleko village in Lagos serving as a model for modern highway construction.

He added that the second section, stretching from Eleko to the Lagos-Ogun boundary, was about 60 percent complete and expected to be substantially finished by November, while work was also ongoing in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun and Ondo states.

The minister also announced that Tinubu approved extending the fourth legacy highway by another 400 kilometres, bringing the strategic corridor to about 1,100 kilometres.

Umahi said road infrastructure approvals across the country would improve connectivity, strengthen national integration, and boost economic activities nationwide.