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Tag: coastal

  • Fed Govt revokes development approvals in coastal, highway, shoreline setback zones

    Fed Govt revokes development approvals in coastal, highway, shoreline setback zones

    • Ministry enforces coastal road, highway, shoreline setback regulations

    The Federal Government has revoked all prior approvals granted for developments within national corridors and ecological zones’ setbacks.

    The government took the action as it began a strict enforcement of development control regulations along federal highways, coastal roads, shorelines, and the Lagos Lagoon corridor.

    This followed a directive issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu mandating the immediate halt of unauthorised developments in these areas, according to the Surveyor General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adebomehin.

    The surveyor-general said the enforcement applies to all affected zones and nullifies all previously granted planning approvals.

    According to him, state governments have been expressly directed to suspend further planning approvals within the designated corridors unless done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.

    To ensure compliance, Adebomehin stressed that all development approvals granted on or before July 2, 2025, must be submitted to the Office of the Surveyor General for verification, harmonisation, and compilation.

    READ ALSO: Meet the next Olubadan-in-waiting, ex-Gov Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja

    Approvals not submitted, or those issued after September 30, 2025, will be deemed invalid, he warned.

    The surveyor-general also ordered the immediate cessation of all ongoing unauthorised reclamation works, stressing that the indiscriminate creation of artificial islands and unapproved sand-filling activities would no longer be tolerated.

    Adebomehin explained that the move is intended to protect critical infrastructure, safeguard the environment, and promote coordinated urban development.

    The surveyor-general said the enforcement covers federal highways, shorelines, coastal roads, and areas on and along the Lagos Lagoon.

    Any further encroachment without federal approval, he warned, would be considered illegal.

    Going forward, Adebomehin said no state or local authority should independently approve projects within the affected setback zones without federal collaboration.

    To ensure effective monitoring and regulation, the surveyor-general announced that mechanisms were being put in place to coordinate infrastructure development along Nigeria’s shorelines and ecological zones.

    The directive, he said, is backed by existing legal provisions, including Section 1 (1), (2), and (3) of the Federal Highways Act and Sections 1 and 2 of the Lands (Title Vesting, Etc.) Act, both of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as well as other relevant legal instruments.

  • The transformative power of Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway

    The transformative power of Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway

    • By Temitope Ajayi

    Barely a month after the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway, the contractor has moved to site to build what will be a monumental civil engineering project that Nigeria has ever seen.

    Since the construction of the iconic Third Mainland Bridge that stretched over 11 kilometres across the lagoon, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road will usher in a new era of ambitious road infrastructural development projects in Nigeria.

    The Third Mainland Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, started during the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1980. It was completed 10 years after, in 1990, by the military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida.

    When completed, the 700km long coastal highway will also enter the world record books among  iconic coastal routes like  the Wild Atlantic Highway in Ireland and the Pacific Coastal Highway in the United States.

    The first phase of the new  700km highway that will run through the nine coastal states is the 47.47km section beginning from Victoria Island. It has five lanes on each side of the dual carriage way and a train track in the middle.

    The superhighway is being  built by Hitech Construction Company. Part of the funding will be sourced by Hitech, the contractors.

    Starting from Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island in Lagos, the Coastal road will pass through Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom States. At a recent press briefing, Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the Coastal road would have two spurs that will link up with Northern Nigeria to further integrate the North and South in terms of movement of the people, goods and services.

    Economic analysts have revealed that the completion of the first phase of the project alone could increase the size of Lagos State economy by 50% because of the connection to Lekki Deep Seaport and the Lekki economic corridor where Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is situated alongside other multinational industries.

    One of the fascinating and interesting features of the coastal road is how it will compress the distance between Lagos and Ondo State. For instance, the distance from Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos to Araromi in Ondo State is about 50 kilometres along the coast. This distance translates to about an hour journey. From Araromi to Ore, a major connecting hub in Ondo State is about another 50 kilometres, whereas the existing route from Ibeju-Lekki to Ore currently in use by motorists is 150 kilometres.

    Speaking on the game-changing effect of the coastal road and how it will transform the economy of Cross River State, the Commissioner of Information,

    Erasmus Ekpang, in a press statement, said the state government is overwhelmingly grateful to President Bola Tinubu for embarking on the project decades after the necessity for the coastal road had been muted.

    The highway, according to the Commissioner, “will serve as a catalyst to transform the economy of Cross River State for optimum impact. I want to applaud President Tinubu for the political will to translate this lofty dream into concrete reality.

    Read Also: No ransom paid for school children’s release – Fed Govt

    “This coastal highway is going to be a game changer for the socio-economic status of Cross River. It is bound to add value to our rich agricultural produce while enhancing the profit base of local farmers. The  benefits in the value chain is unimaginable.”

    Mr. Ekpang further averred that the highway would boost the tourism economy of Cross River.

    “When completed, the road will also boost tourism traffic to our unique tourism sites by attracting an unprecedented number of tourists, given the thrills and frills synonymous with road travel.”

    Speaking in like manner, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River, Alphonsus Eba, praised President Tinubu for fulfilling a key aspect of his campaign promises to the people of Cross River.

    “President Tinubu has once again demonstrated that he is a man of his word by keeping to his promise. When Senator Ben Ayade voiced out this request during the presidential campaign in Calabar, he knew the economic importance of the road.

    “Nothing is more gratifying at the moment than the cheering news of the commencement of the  highway. This is a huge boost to the current drive of Governor Bassey Otu to alter the socio-economic narrative of our state. The highway is bound to ensure our rapid transformation in all facets of economic development by driving traffic of investors and tourists,” the state party Chairman noted.

    While many Nigerians are excited that the road project has finally taken off after many years, that the highway is starting now speaks to the capacity of President Tinubu to conceive bold ideas and take on huge and transformational projects. President Tinubu’s penchant for high impact projects preceded his presidency.

    As Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, he superintended over the financial and infrastructural renewal of the state. Apart from the major road projects his administration in Lagos undertook and completed, he set up Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to modernise public transportation systems in the state through intermodal public transport infrastructure. The Red and Blue Rail Metro lines that were recently commissioned formed part of the grand vision he laid down for the state. The Lekki Deep Seaport, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and Eko Atlantic City projects are landmark projects that will eternally bear the footprints of President Tinubu as governor of Lagos State for eight years. Also imminent for implementation is the 4th Mainland Bridge, conceived during the Tinubu era in Lagos.

    Indeed, like his many impactful achievements in Lagos, the coastal highway will be one of the many critical transformative economic projects that will hallmark the Tinubu’s presidency.

    •Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media & Publicity

  • The transformative power of Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway by Temitope Ajayi

    The transformative power of Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway by Temitope Ajayi

    Barely a month after the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal superhighway, the contractor has moved to site to build what will be a monumental civil engineering project that Nigeria has ever seen.

    Since the construction of the iconic Third Mainland Bridge that stretched over 11 kilometres across the lagoon, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road will usher in a new era of ambitious road infrastructural development projects in Nigeria.

    The Third Mainland Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world, started during the administration of President Shehu Shagari in 1980. It was completed 10 years after, in 1990, by the military administration of President Ibrahim Babangida.

    When completed, the 700km long coastal highway will also enter the world record books among  iconic coastal routes like  the Wild Atlantic Highway in Ireland and the Pacific Coastal Highway in the United States.

    The first phase of the new  700km highway that will run through the nine coastal states is the 47.47km section beginning from Victoria Island. It has five lanes on each side of the dual carriage way and a train track in the middle.

    The superhighway is being  built by Hitech Construction Company. Part of the funding will be sourced by Hitech, the contractors.

    Starting from Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island in Lagos, the Coastal road will pass through Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River and Akwa-Ibom States. At a recent press briefing, Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the Coastal road would have two spurs that will link up with Northern Nigeria to further integrate the North and South in terms of movement of the people, goods and services.

    Economic analysts have revealed that the completion of the first phase of the project alone could increase the size of Lagos State economy by 50% because of the connection to Lekki Deep Seaport and the Lekki economic corridor where Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is situated alongside other multinational industries.

    One of the fascinating and interesting features of the coastal road is how it will compress the distance between Lagos and Ondo State. For instance, the distance from Ibeju-Lekki in Lagos to Araromi in Ondo State is about 50 kilometres along the coast. This distance translates to about an hour journey. From Araromi to Ore, a major connecting hub in Ondo State is about another 50 kilometres, whereas the existing route from Ibeju-Lekki to Ore currently in use by motorists is 150 kilometres.

    Speaking on the game-changing effect of the coastal road and how it will transform the economy of Cross River State, the Commissioner of Information,

    Erasmus Ekpang, in a press statement, said the state government is overwhelmingly grateful to President Bola Tinubu for embarking on the project decades after the necessity for the coastal road had been muted.

    The highway, according to the Commissioner, “will serve as a catalyst to transform the economy of Cross River State for optimum impact. I want to applaud President Tinubu for the political will to translate this lofty dream into concrete reality.

    “This coastal highway is going to be a game changer for the socio-economic status of Cross River. It is bound to add value to our rich agricultural produce while enhancing the profit base of local farmers. The  benefits in the value chain is unimaginable.”

    Read Also: Police arrest fake Soldier for armed robbery, extortion in Kaduna

    Mr. Ekpang further averred that the highway would boost the tourism economy of Cross River.

    “When completed, the road will also boost tourism traffic to our unique tourism sites by attracting an unprecedented number of tourists, given the thrills and frills synonymous with road travel.”

    Speaking in like manner, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Cross River, Alphonsus Eba, praised President Tinubu for fulfilling a key aspect of his campaign promises to the people of Cross River.

    “President Tinubu has once again demonstrated that he is a man of his word by keeping to his promise. When Senator Ben Ayade voiced out this request during the presidential campaign in Calabar, he knew the economic importance of the road.

    “Nothing is more gratifying at the moment than the cheering news of the commencement of the  highway. This is a huge boost to the current drive of Governor Bassey Otu to alter the socio-economic narrative of our state. The highway is bound to ensure our rapid transformation in all facets of economic development by driving traffic of investors and tourists,” the state party Chairman noted.

    While many Nigerians are excited that the road project has finally taken off after many years, that the highway is starting now speaks to the capacity of President Tinubu to conceive bold ideas and take on huge and transformational projects. President Tinubu’s penchant for high impact projects preceded his presidency.

    As Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, he superintended over the financial and infrastructural renewal of the state. Apart from the major road projects his administration in Lagos undertook and completed, he set up Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to modernise public transportation systems in the state through intermodal public transport infrastructure. The Red and Blue Rail Metro lines that were recently commissioned formed part of the grand vision he laid down for the state. The Lekki Deep Seaport, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and Eko Atlantic City projects are landmark projects that will eternally bear the footprints of President Tinubu as governor of Lagos State for eight years. Also imminent for implementation is the 4th Mainland Bridge, conceived during the Tinubu era in Lagos.

    Indeed, like his many impactful achievements in Lagos, the coastal highway will be one of the many critical transformative economic projects that will hallmark the Tinubu’s presidency.

  • ‘Lagos to protect coastal towns with cheap tech’

    ‘Lagos to protect coastal towns with cheap tech’

    Lagos State is to adopt cheap Groin technology to preserve and protect coastline communities against extinction, Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Yacoob Alebiosu, has said.

    Some communities ravaged by coastal erosion include Idotun, Origanrigan, Olomowewe, Itoke and Asoroko in Ibeju Lekki.

    Alebiosu, addressing reporters, said the state will check this tide with cheaper Groin technology used by some African countries.  

    Groin involves engineering and construction of structures, taking into account factors wave action, sediment transport, and environmental impact.

    It is often part of coastal management and protection efforts to maintain beaches and shorelines in face of erosion caused by natural processes or human activities.

    Read Also: No Nigerian should be in captivity, Speaker Abbas tells security agencies

    The structures, called groins , are built perpendicular to the shoreline, often using rocks or concrete, to prevent or reduce beach erosion. They trapped sand carried along shorelines by waves and currents. Through this, they build maintain a beach on that side, while also creating a more stable environment for piers or harbours.

    Alebiosu said: “We are looking at reclamation and also to protect what is left of these villages, though expensive to do. We have some groins at the moment around Okunde, that is the Great Wall. We want to block the groins to relieve the pressure in that area. But we need to move from Alpha Beach to Ibeju Lekki, and that is about a 42 km stretch that will require about 105 groins.

    “A year ago, to put up a groin was about N12 billion. The stretch of the coastline in Lagos is about 180km.   

    “We are not looking at Groin alone, we are also looking at replenishment as they do in the Netherlands,, and we need the Federal Government and private people to work with us…’’

  • Delta coastal communities get new roads

    Delta coastal communities get new roads

    Many coastal communities in Olero Creek, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, came alive at the weekend as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) inaugurated seven sections of rigid pavement roads covering almost eight kilometres.

    The roads are Tebu-Gbokoda Road, Tebu-Gbokoda-Udo Road and the Udo-Ajamita Road, all in Olero Creek community. The NDDC also inaugurated the 3.1-kilometre Irete Road in Sapele and Uloho Avenue Road with drainage in Ughelli.

    The ceremonies were performed by an NDDC team, which included the Managing Director, Mr. Nsima Ekere; Executive Director Projects Samuel Adjogbe; government’s representative on the NDDC Board Ogaga Ifowodo, and others.

    Ekere, who noted that developing communities that could not be accessed by road posed enormous challenges, especially with funding and logistics.

    He said: “I share in your joy; when you spoke, I felt your positive emotions. Some of you have not seen vehicular traffic before today. Now, by the special grace of God, it is possible for cars to drive round your communities.

    “We came from Koko, travelling almost one hour by water to get here. On our way, I enjoyed seeing the vegetation and mangrove, but I wondered what life would be like for the people without the necessary facilities and infrastructure.

    “Bringing construction materials and equipment to site is a logistic nightmare; the terrain is so difficult that in some areas, the contractor had to excavate for as deep as four metres to remove unsuitable materials before refilling with sharp sand.

    “A very serious engineering work has been done here because of the difficult terrain. That is why we feel sad when people don’t factor in the difficult challenges of terrain while talking about the cost of construction in the Niger Delta region.

    “What we spend in building one kilometre of road in this type of community could be used to construct 10 kilometres of road in other parts of the country.”

    Ekere praised the Federal Government and oil companies funding the commission, and urged them to continue to release funds to enable the agency live up to its mandate of fast-tracking development in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.

    “We appeal to the oil companies to please release the outstanding funds owed NDDC,” Ekere added.

    A representative of the Olero Creek Community, Mr. Eyde Michael, said they were excited with the project. “We have not seen much from the oil companies; that is why we remain very grateful to the NDDC,” he said.

    At the opening of the Ireto Road in Sapele, Ifowodo stressed that the Commission was focusing on completing all ongoing projects. “That is why we are devoting 70 per cent of the NDDC budget to the execution of projects,” he said.

    Ogaga urged the Kogoro and Ojolu communities to be patient and support the Federal Government and its development agencies to develop the Niger Delta.

  • ‘We’ve projected IIBC beyond coastal erosion’

    ‘We’ve projected IIBC beyond coastal erosion’

    Land reclamation is on the rise, especially in coastal cities. But the threat posed by climate change, coastal development is a source of concern to stakeholders in the environment sector. ChannelDrill Resources Limited Managing Director Mr. Olufemi Akioye, whose firm has commenced the reclamation of 200 hectares on the Lekki Lagoon for the development of Imperial International Business City, allays fears of safety of development on land reclaimed from the lagoon. Akioye spoke with select journalists in Lagos. MUYIWA LUCAS was there.

    Weather events of the past few weeks, such as flooding, hurricane and earthquakes, have been frightening and there are concerns, especially for coastal developments. What do you say to this?
    Those fears are not that of coastal developers alone, but a global problem that is our reality. Bringing it back, home developers must spend money on research because investments in bricks and mortal is long-term and people behind these investments want to give it as an inheritance to their children. So, what sort of developer will we be if in 10 years our developments start having serious problems and investors start taking us to court? Unfortunately, the major reasons for the floods we have experienced recently is more of man-made than that of a natural occurrence and we have refused to take responsibility for that. By man-made I mean the way we block our drainage and canals with dirt. At Chaneldrill, we have no fear for our coastal development because we have spent a lot of time, energy and money to engage one of the best marine consultants in the world and we know what is going to happen in our coastal lines in the next 75 years. Our developments are designed to make sure that they are not affected by these unavoidable future occurrence. It’s a mazing that when we stared people said we were doing little; now they have seen what is coming.
    No doubt that climate change is real. How much precaution are you taking in your new city development?
    Climate change is more than people think. It is also not a European, Asia or an American problem; it is global. The lagoon water level will rise by almost two metres in the next 15-20 years. This is the reality and the government can’t stop it because it is due to the thermal expansion caused by warming of the ocean, since water expands as it warms and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets. Do you know that the Lagos State government actually commissioned an Associate Professor from Hydraulics Research Institute, Egypt Ahmed Sayed Mohamed Ahmed to do a hydrodynamic modelling of Lagos and Lekki lagoons? This means that even the state is taking steps to make sure Lagos is way ahead of it and they have shown that they are taking this global threat seriously; an example of that is the new Freedom Road in Lekki that was just finished, and you can see that it is well above all the developments around it. So, we, as developers of the Imperial International Business City (IIBC), have taking the best precaution that can be taken based on the recommendation of our marine consultants, Messer Royal HaskoningDHV of Holland and they are one of the best the in world. They have recommended that because of the inescapable global sea level rise that will continue to rise Imperial International Business City (IIBC) must be reclaimed at 3.5metres above sea level and that is what we are doing. So, after a life-time settlement of the reclamation IIBC will still stand at about 2.9 above sea level. Therefore, investors and future land owners of IIBC can be rest assured that their investment is safe. We call it IIBC 75 years flood-free strategy and I can assure you that out of all other developments along the Lagos coastal line, at least the ones that we have seen, it is only IIBC and another one on the ocean that can guarantee this safety.
    There are fears that the effect of dredging or sandfilling in one place affects another place. Is this true?
    This can only be true if it is not done properly or if it is done without any form of regulation. The Lagos State administration has regulated all forms of sand taking from dredging to reclamation/sandfilling to sand stock piling. Do you know that you must do an Environmental Impact Assessment and it must be approved by the Lagos State government before you can take a grain of sand for stock -piling in Lagos? The last administration started the regulations and this government has taken it to another level. Do you know that people that use to just take sand around Badore and Co are no longer there? In fact, it is so regulated that you can only use some particular type of dredger in some areas. Do you also know that over 60 per cent of the world cities that people dwell all around the world are reclaimed? Reclamation in Lagos is well regulated, so there is nothing to be scared of.
    The IIBC’s assurance for investors that their investments are safe?
    IIBC is being reclaimed at over three meters above sea level and we have the best team of global consultants that has ever worked together on any project in Africa. Our reclamation level guarantees investors a 75 years flood free city and all our consultants our top 20 global rating. When our marine consultants said our reclamation height must be above three metres, I said no way because like most developers I was looking at the cost and how much we will have to sell the land and if the public will pay and also at our return on investment (RoI). But they said if we don’t accept their recommendations, they will ask that we terminate the contract because when the flood comes and it will come, they don’t want their company’s name to be associated with such bad image. All the remaining consultants said the same thing. So, these world-class firms that we have engaged care more about the name and reputation of their firms than money and we are all determined to do the right thing. That is the IIBC quality assurance.
    Analysts say events, like the flooding in some parts of Lagos on June 8, will affect property prices. What is your take on this?
    The impact will be both negative and positive. Developments that are at least three metres above sea level will enjoy positive impact while others below that might not. I will advise any one that is building on Lagos Island, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, especially within the Lekki axis to make sure that their foundation is at least 2.5-3metres above sea level and if it is a reclamation project, it must be about that same height, unless we want to start having 10-15meters underground drainage like Japan or have an automatic pumping stations at designated area within estates.These stations pump water to canals that leads to the lagoon or the ocean. That’s the Dutch model and they are well below sea level. I think that the last June 8 incident is a wakeup call and we must all do the needful; we, the citizens, have a lot to do, all hands must be on deck. We have to stop dumping dirt in our canals and drainages. That is not the fault of the government; it’s something we must do.
    Why should one invest in IIBC?
    One of our major selling point is our reclamation height, IIBC is also going to be an eco-friendly self-sustaining smart city; we have the best consultants ever assembled to work on any project in Africa. As I said earlier, no other project in Africa has a better team than us. We didn’t do this because we just want to have the bragging right, even though we do have that. We did it because we want this consultants that have worked on such smart and green cities, such as Mazda City in AbuDhabi; and the Songdo Business City in South Korea to come and do the same in Lagos. We have enjoyed unbelievable help and encouragement from the state government. Rest assured in the next few years IIBC will be the benchmark for future city development in Africa. Universities will use IIBC as a case studies. Actually, my job was made easy because I have the best principal ever, who is ready to have a thin profit margin. If that’s what it takes to fulfill his vison, that is Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi and as if that wasn’t enough, am also lucky to have a chairman that understands the place of posterity- Mr Emeka Ndu. So, IIBC is the real deal.

  • Jonathan: $15b coastal railway coming

    President Goodluck Jonathan has reiterated his administration’s commitment to the $15billion (N2.5 trillion) coastal railway line, which will link Lagos to the North through the Southsouth and the Southeast.

    He spoke at the weekend at the groundbreaking of the $16 billion Ogidigben Gas Plant and Export Processing Zone in Ugborod and the Nigeria Maritime University in Oporoza, Delta State.

    The President said: “The project will cost between $12billion and $15billion.

    “It will link Lagos, the rest of the Southwest, the Southsouth and the Southeast to the North. If we achieve that it will improve communication and improve our GDP,” he said.

    Jonathan said his administration’s commitment to developing a comprehensive transport infrastructure in the country informed the decision to build the costal rail system.

    He said a functional railway system is germane to the nation’s quest for improved transportation and easy movement of goods and service.

    Alleviating concerns, particularly of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), on the fate of the coastal road project, Jonathan said the project had not been abandoned.

    “Our roads fail so easily because of the load they carry and that is why we are emphasising the coastal railway. I had that discussion with the Premier of China and they are totally committed.”

    Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan urged the country to support the President.

    “I must say that we must all give the maximum support to the president. Yes Mr. President is from the Niger Delta and we thank other parts of Nigeria for supporting him to become president in 2011.

    “We thank them for their support so far, we plead with them that they should continue to support him now and beyond 2015.

    “We have a president who has been brought to power by Nigerians, for us in the Niger Delta we must continue to be in the forefront of that support.

    “We must continue to extend our hands of fellowship to other parts of Nigeria to continue to support him not just in 2015 but beyond.

    “We want to thank you Mr. President because today you are starting a movement in Warri South West that will make it the most educated, the most industrialised and the most empowered local government in Nigeria,” he said

  • N1.8tr East-West Coastal Road back on the front burner

    N1.8tr East-West Coastal Road back on the front burner

    For three days, November 6 to November 8, the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE) brainstormed on the theme: “Enhancing national economic growth though sustainable civil Infrastructure”. The occasion was the 11th National Civil Engineering Conference and Annual General Meeting, which was held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The civil engineers not only talked about big dreams, they talked about taking the necessary steps to realise the dreams.

    One major dream, which they talked about how it would become a reality, is the East-West Coastal Highway. The contract for the design of the 704 km project was awarded to Pearl Consultants, an indigenous firm, with over 40 years’ experience in the business of engineering designs. It was agreed that the project remains pivotal to the rapid development of not just the Niger Delta but the country.

    It also emerged at the sessions that the Federal Government was seriously working on the contract for the award of the project, which was by strategic design the Nigerian perfect extension of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway segment linking Dakar-Banjul-Monrovia-Lome-Lagos.

    The East-West Coastal Road will link the Western flank of the Trans-African Highway Network from Lagos to the Eastern axis through Ikom in Cross River State to Mombassa in Kenya.

    Speaking at a dinner lecture to mark the end of the conference, Mayne David-West, the guest lecturer, said the design of the road had been completed and tender documents for the award of the contract were now before the Federal Government for consideration.

    In a presentation entitled: ‘Economic Development of Nigeria and the Challenge of Road Infrastructure Improvement,” David-West, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and lead consultant on the engineering design of the coastal road, advised that it would be expedient if the Federal Government would adopt the East-West Coastal Road as the base-alignment of the proposed Golden Triangle Super-Highway, which is part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Strategic Highway Investment for Transformation (SHIFT) programme.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    David-West said: “The East-West Coastal Road is the natural alignment of the Nigerian segment of the Trans-African highway Network that connects the Trans-West African Coastal Road, which spans from Lagos to Dakar. The unique alignment of the East-West Coastal Road, coupled with the abundant natural resources available along its corridor easily qualifies it as a natural ‘Trade Corridor’ in the African sub-region.”

    He urged the government to speed up action on the coastal highway to properly position it to link up with the proposed Golden Triangle super-highway being planned by the Ministry of Works to improve the country’s economy.

    He said the East-West Coastal Road, estimated to cost about N1.8 trillion, should be undertaken through a multi-lateral funding arrangement. He urged the Federal Government to seek funding windows through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and concessionary loans, since the capital resources needed for the actualisation of the coastal road was huge.

    David-West said the 704-kilometre Coastal Road stretches from Odukpani Junction in Cross River State to Ibeju on Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos State, traversing over 1,000 communities.

    He said: “The unique alignment of the East-West Coastal Road, coupled with the abundant natural resources available along its corridor, easily qualifies it as natural ‘trade corridor’.”

    He said the economic potentials of the road were bountiful as it passes through nine states— Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos.

    He added that the road would link up major industrial facilities, such as the Tinapa Free Trade Zone in Calabar, the Nigeria LNG Plant in Bonny, the Brass LNG, and the Koko Free Trade Zone, among others.

    David-West said the value of roads went beyond transportation of goods and people, as it also provided the foundation for economic development. According to him, “roads are important drivers in facilitating economic growth. It is a corridor with the ability to augment trade, increase productivity and improve living standards of a nation.”

    A former Executive Director of Projects in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Beniah Ojum, said the idea of the coastal road was conceived by the interventionist agency and articulated at an international conference in Port Harcourt in December 2001, under the aegis of the commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    He said the international conference on the development of the Niger Delta concluded that without the proposed road, no meaningful development would likely take place in the region.

    Ojum said the mega project should not be delayed any further.

    He said: “I believe that we are going to have a new Niger Delta that will be propelled by important infrastructure. I want to see a Niger Delta where Lagosians will move on Friday evening to go and enjoy fresh fish in Port Harcourt, in Yenagoa, where investors will come from all over the world.”

    He said a good road network connecting the entire Niger Delta and the rest of the country is viewed as the beginning of economic development and emancipation in the region. He added that the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan identified the challenge of paucity of transportation infrastructure. The former NDDC Executive Director said the proposed coastal road was so strategic that there was no doubt it would play the expected role in promoting the development of the region by seamlessly integrating the regional economy with the mainstream economy.

    A study conducted on the economic benefits of the road indicates that the road when completed will save each traveller from the various coastal communities in the road corridor an average of 3 traveling hours to the capital city. The gain amounts to N267 billion per annum based on the assumptions that only one-third of estimated current vehicular traffic to the capital city exists and that each vehicle plying the road on average has only two occupants.

    When in 2008, the NDDC awarded a contract for the design of the coastal road, the job was divided into two phases. The first phase was to find out the potential areas of alignment and look into the feasibility of the construction of the road. In this phase, the consultants undertook such tasks as alignment selection, scoping and realistic cost estimate, determination of construction methods and standards and financing options for the project.

    Significantly, after that phase was successful, the second phase was approved. Under the second phase, the firm was tasked with assessing the environmental impact of the project and carrying out full engineering design.

    The two phases, said the then NDDC Managing Director Chibuzor Ugwoha, were independent of each other in order to know “whether the project is possible before taking on further expenses, otherwise, we just end up wasting resources if we award everything in a lump only to discover, after the feasibility study, that the construction is not feasibility.”

    Reports from the first phase of the project indicated that the road would be two-lane dual carriageway, with provision for expansion of the road into three lanes on both sides of the road. However, the bridges are to be constructed as three-lane dual carriageways from the beginning so as to make future expansion easier.

    The study on the project also shows that about 106 kilometres of the road will run through islands, forests, mangrove swamps and fresh water swamps. The road will also house about 160 bridges.

    Some of the places that the bridges will cross are places where ships also pass, which means the bridges in such places would be extra-ordinary. Two of the bridges, from the feasibility study, will be cable-stayed bridges while another two will be suspension bridges. The cable-stayed bridges, said the report, will be the fifth longest of the type in the whole world, while the suspension bridges would be the eight longest the world over.

    For ease of delivery, the construction work was broken into several segments so that the job can be done simultaneously. In all, there are five sections of the contract which are: Calabar-Andoni River with a length of 177.8km; Andoni River-Brass River, spanning 133km; Brass River-Ramos River, covering 133.750km; Ramos River-Benin River which runs across 92km; and the Benin River-Lagos, which will cover 168km.

    For a project of this magnitude, compromise has had to be made. Ugwoha said: “The consultants came across community issues whenever they got to certain communities and the community would prevent them from working in certain areas because they (the community) consider such areas no-go areas either because they were being used as shrines or were simply considered sacred groves or forest. The implication of that is that very often, the workers needed to shift elsewhere in order to secure alignment points. Naturally, they also had to contend with government regulations which prevent carrying out certain forms of construction activities in some areas.”

    But, not a few have wondered where the over N1 trillion for the project will come from? The NDDC admitted it cannot go it alone. So, it wanted to partner with government, the oil companies and other corporate bodies.

    The creation of the Niger Delta Ministry affected the project. The Federal Government transferred the responsibility for executing the project to the Niger Delta Ministry. Vice-President Namadi Sambo offered a justification for this when he said: “The Federal Government, in its quest to complete all major projects in the Niger Delta, has directed that the coastal road construction be transferred to the Ministry of Niger Delta since the money needed for its construction is over N1 trillion and is beyond the capability of the NDDC.”

    Niger Delta Minister Godsday Orubebe was quoted as blaming the inactivity on the project on lack of fund. The project, a brainchild of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has remained on the drawing board because of lack of capital outlay. Orubebe said it would be difficult to source the kind of fund to prosecute the project.

    Recently, the Akwa Ibom and Delta states assemblies, at a joint sitting, deliberated on the matter.

    The Deputy Majority Leader, Johnson Erijo (Delta) said the construction of the Coastal road project would serve as a catalyst for both regional integration and enhanced economic activities in the Southsouth.

    Part of the resolutions read: “That this joint sitting of the Delta and Akwa Ibom state Houses of Assembly hereby urge His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCFR), the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to: Direct the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Niger Delta Development commission (NDDC) to ensure that work commences on the proposed Coastal road Project from Calabar to Lagos.

    “Use his good offices to urge all oil exploration and exploitation companies operating in the South –South region including the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other stakeholders in the oil industry to as well partner with the above mentioned MDAs for the construction of the Coastal Road Project which will serve as a catalyst for both regional integration and enhance economic activities in the South- south region.”

    Interestingly, the issue of when this dream will become a reality is dependent on a number of factors, which also revolve around funding. Even if the funding is made available, the terrain is such a challenge that it can take not less than five years for the road to be ready for use. And that is also provided the job is segmented and awarded to several companies to handle the five different portions of the road.

    The commission hoped that inhabitants of the communities that the coastal road will pass through will co-operate with the contractors, leaving them to grapple with only environmental and natural challenges.

    David-West said it would take about five years to complete the Coastal Road. In a paper he presented as a guest lecturer at the 6th annual lecture of Prof. Youpele Beredugo organised by the Port Harcourt chapter of NICE, in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, he said the project might span a period of ten years if contracts for the different sections of the projects were not awarded at the same time.

    “It will take about five years to complete the construction of the East-West Coastal road. It was designed in such a way that the project will be divided into ten sections and awarded to different contractors.

    “But if the project is not awarded to different companies, it will take up to ten years to get it completed,” David-West explained.

    David-West described the move by the Federal Government to seek external sources of raising the required fund for the project as a welcome development, saying: “The project holds a lot of promise for the people of the coastal communities and Nigeria at large.”

    He said such promises would come with some sacrifice and challenges, especially from the people of the region who have suffered from age long neglect and deprivation.

    It is envisaged that with this road more people will go into agriculture; it will become easier to bring electricity to some communities that were hitherto inaccessible and such businesses as cold room for sea food, gas stations, holiday resorts and schools will spring up.