Tag: Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway

• EPC+F agreement signed
• 30km for completion May 29

The Federal Government and Messrs. Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited have signed an Engineering Procurement Construction and Financing (EPC+F) agreement for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. 

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Olufunsho Adebiyi, signed on behalf of the government while the Managing Director of Hitech, Dany Abboud, signed for his company yesterday in Abuja.

The pact will enable the construction firm to source 70 per cent of the funds required to complete the highway, which will be tolled upon completion.

It will, through tolling, recoup its investment on the 750-kilometre road, which runs from Victoria Island in Lagos to Calabar in Cross River State.  

The government is providing 30 per cent of the total sum.    

Works Minister David Umahi said in a statement by his media aide, Uchenna Orji, that the move aligned with the government’s roadmap for sustainable funding of key legacy projects aimed at driving economic growth.

Umahi recently assured that a flag-off of work on sections 3A and B of the highway was imminent.

The first section of Phase One of the project, covering 30 kilometres, is billed for completion on May 29.  

The permanent secretary, according to Orji, emphasised that the agreement was executed in compliance with the law.

Umahi, who received the agreement from Adebiyi, expressed happiness that the project was nearing fruition under the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Read Also: Lagos-Calabar highway will unlock economic growth, says presidential aide

He stressed that with the contractor’s capacity and the President’s strong political will, the highway would be completed before the end of the President’s second term.

Umahi said: “We’re very grateful to God Almighty for this project that Mr. President initiated. A dream of about 27 years back is made fresh before us, and we are fortunate to be part of this wonderful, evolving, mega project, the biggest ever known in Africa – the Lagos-Calabar Superhighway. 

“So, today, we have signed the EPC+F contract, which is Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance.”

The minister noted that with the signing of the contract, the contractor was free to attract foreign investment into the project.

He said: “The Federal Government’s commitment is 30 per cent counterpart funding, which the President is fulfilling. Now, there is a foreign component of the project, that is, foreign financing that will come in. it is going to fast-track the performance of this project.

“If not for the settlement of a very high fee, we would have been able to inaugurate the entire first section within one year of the project, even though it is for 36 months.”   

The Federal Government has secured funding for the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal highway through an Engineering Procurement Construction and Financing (EPC+F) agreement with Hitech Construction Company Nig. Ltd, it emerged on Tuesday.  

Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the move aligns with the government’s roadmap for sustainable funding of key legacy projects aimed at driving economic growth.

The first 30 kilometers of the project, Phase 1, Section 1, will be completed before May 29, the Minister announced recently.

The Minister also revealed that the flag off of the construction of Sections 3A and B of the highway in Calabar was imminent. 

In a statement on Tuesday by Uchenna Orji

Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, the agreement that was signed in Abuja on Tuesday by the Federal Ministry of Works the EPC+F contract component of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project with Messrs. Hitech Construction Company Nig. Ltd.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, who signed on behalf of the Federal Government alongside Hitech Construction Ltd’s Managing Director, Dany Abboud, emphasized that the agreement was executed in full compliance with the law.

After receiving the document from the Permanent Secretary, the Minister expressed gratitude to God for the legacy project, noting that it had been President Bola Tinubu’s long-held vision, now coming to fruition under the Renewed Hope administration.  

Read Also: Umahi: First 30km of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to be ready in May

He assured that, with the contractor’s capacity and the President’s strong political will, the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would be completed by God’s grace before the end of Tinubu’s second term.

He said: “We’re very grateful to God Almighty for this project that Mr. President initiated. A dream of about 27 years back is made fresh before us, and we are fortunate to be part of this wonderful, evolving, mega project, biggest ever known in Africa- the Lagos-Calabar Superhighway.  

“So today, we have signed the EPC+F contract, which is Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance.”

Highlighting the significance of the agreement, he noted that the key achievement was fulfilling the F component of the EPC+F model, noting that by signing the contract, the Federal Ministry of Finance is enabling the contractor to attract foreign investment into the project.

“The Federal government commitment is 30% counterpart funding, which the President is fulfilling and now there is a foreign component of the project, that is, foreign financing that will come in, it’s going to fast track the performance of this project.

“I’m happy with the performance of Hitech, with the quality of work they are doing and the speed of work. 

“If not for settlement of a very high fee, we would have been able to commission the entire first section within one year of the project, even though it is for 36 months,” the Minister said.

Commending Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to making the project a reality, he said, “It is a very wonderful thing to witness this and to be part of it.

“We will continue to pray for Mr. President, we will continue to support him, and we must continue to say that given the two tenures of Mr. President, Nigerians are assured that the entire 750 kilometers will be fully achieved before Mr. President leaves office at the end of his two tenors. And God, who started this, is going to get it completed”.

The security and aesthetic features of the 750-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be enhanced with lay-bys and closed-circuit video cameras, among other innovations, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said.

According to the Minister, the lay-bys will serve as hubs for security apparatus, including vehicles, to ensure rapid responses to emergencies along the highway.

He also disclosed that the project would undergo a review to address unforeseen challenges and align with emerging environmental realities.

Umahi, during an inspection of Sections I and II of the project in Lagos on Friday, commended the landmark infrastructure development under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, praising his vision for initiating legacy projects aimed at connecting critical economic corridors and enhancing the transportation ecosystem across the six geo-political zones.

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The Minister also acknowledged the President’s commitment to funding the Works sector, despite competing demands from other priority areas of the economy.

Highlighting the transformative potential of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other legacy projects, Umahi announced plans to review the contract to incorporate features that would enhance its socio-economic impact.

He said: “We’re going to plant trees. And of course, we are going to also have some lay bays. We can decide every five kilometers we have a lay bay where we connect all our CCTV cameras.

“And then we have vehicles and the security within the cabin there so that the response time will be like 10 minutes.

“You’ve witnessed what we did at Third Mainland Bridge. That’s what we intend to replicate in all our highways. And so the entire stretch of 750 kilometers to Calabar will be under CCTV, powered by solar.”

On the President’s commitment to the road infrastructure revolution, he said, “The President has given very serious attention to road infrastructure. Don’t forget that this Coastal Highway and, of course, the four Legacy Projects all have the train track incorporated.”

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, acknowledged the challenges encountered during the initial stages of the project, saying, “We faced unexpected issues, including massive refuse dumps resembling Olusosun landfill, some as deep as five meters.

“The contractor has since removed the debris and replaced it with sand sourced from the ocean, ensuring a solid foundation for the project.”

• Govt to hand over plant Section One in May

The Federal Government has announced an increase in the compensation it will pay property owners affected by the construction of Section One, Phase One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The government said it increased the compensation from N8 billion to about N18 billion.

Works Minister Dave Umahi announced the increase at a stakeholders’ engagement on the ongoing construction of Phase One, sections One and Two of the coastal highway yesterday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the decision was meant to ensure fair compensation for the affected citizens.

Umahi said: “The Federal Executive Council (FEC) initially approved N8 billion for this corridor, but today we are hitting N18 billion, and this is just for section one.”

The minister said the compensation figures were justified, stressing that they were determined by independent experts and would be publicised with property details to ensure transparency.

Expressing the governments’ commitment to transparency, he said half of the compensation had already been made to the affected people.

Umahi pledged to complete the compensation within the next 10 days.

But some stakeholders, including lawyers and valuation experts, expressed dissatisfaction with the process.

They argued that the compensation was inadequate and that the process did not meet standards.

A lawyer and valuation expert, Mr. Olusola Enitan, argued that the compensation fell short of standards.

“Somebody who had a home is now renting with no capacity to replace what was taken from him,” he said.

The lawyer cited multiple Supreme Court decisions supporting the right to fair compensation.

Responding to the concerns, Umahi gave the assurance that his ministry was working within the law and was open to reviewing any documents presented to facilitate swift compensation.

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr. Akin Alabi, hailed the ministry for transparency and stakeholders’ engagement in the compensation process.

He emphasised the importance of publishing compensation details to counter misinformation and promote accountability.

“There are mischief makers out there, but by the time we start to publish these things, some people will have to keep quiet,” he said.

Read Also: FG sets up legal team for Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway

NAN reports that the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works had been in Lagos for the past three days to inspect and assess road and bridge projects.

Umahi led the committee members on tour of the Third Mainland and Carter bridges, among others.

Also, Umahi has said Section One of the coastal highway plant would be handed over by May 29, next year.

The minister gave the assurance while inspecting the road at the weekend in Lagos. 

He said over three kilometres of the road, starting from Chainage Zero at Alhmadu Bello Way, had been paved with 275mm reinforced concrete pavements.

Umahi explained that with the development, “the problem we have in transshipment of goods at Apapa will become a thing of the past”.

He added: “A train station is also starting at Kilometre 16 is going to run all the way to Calabar.”

• NASS passes vote of confidence in Minister

• Umahi, stakeholders meet today in Lagos

The Federal Government has set up a legal team to address the numerous court cases impacting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Minister of Works David Umahi has said.

He said the decision was crucial as the litigations risk delaying the timely completion of the legacy road project.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu has also approved compensation for property owners along the project corridor, including those with unauthorized structures, adding that the initiative was aimed at resolving legal obstacles and ensuring smooth project execution.

Umahi shared the updates during an inspection and verification tour of Sections I and II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with members of the National Assembly Committees on Works, where the lawmakers expressed their commitment to supporting the scheduled completion of the 700-kilometer project.

Section I of the project is 103 kilometres in length and falls entirely within the Lagos State border.

However, a phased execution of the project was adopted, for ease of construction beginning with Phase 1 of Section I, which is 47.4 kilometres in length; Ch.0+000 (Ahmadu Bello Way Junction, Victoria Island) – Ch. 47+474 (Eleko Village Junction).

Phase 1, Section II has a total length of 55.6 kilometres beginning from Ch. 47+474 – Ch. 103 + 000 (Ode – Omi, Lagos-Ogun Border.)

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At the project site, Umahi urged the lawmakers to advise other National Assembly Committees to consult the Ministry before summoning its officials over what he described as “frivolous matters” related to the project.

While lamenting that numerous court cases and petitions are impeding progress on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Minister revealed that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice had established a legal team to address all pending cases.

In a statement by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, on Saturday, disclosed on behalf of the Minister that President Tinubu had approved the payment of compensation to owners of properties within the project’s corridor, even to those with illegal structures.

While urging the aggrieved to approach the courts to seek redress like others had done, Umahi appealed to aggrieved parties to refrain from politicizing the project.

“We have a lot of people who are not interested in this job being done. Everything the government wants to do, some people want to thwart it,” he said.

On Section II of the project, the Minister also informed the visiting legislators that the President had also approved the extension of the 7th Axial Road passing through the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the Deep Sea Port, built by Messrs Dangote Industries, on Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, to be linked with the Coastal Highway.

According to him, the two sections will be linked via a cable bridge, as obtained in other climes like Dubai, UAE.

Responding, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Sen. Mpigi Barinada disclosed that his Committee was convinced that the project was at no point abandoned, as speculated by some mischievous Nigerians, while urging the Ministry not to hesitate in approaching them on any thorny issue concerning the project.

He, however, appealed to the Minister to urgently consider the other sections of the highway passing through the Niger Delta, being an indigene of the zone.

On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi pledged the commitment and support of members and the leadership of the House to see to the successful and scheduled completion of the project.

He also appreciated and commended Mr. President for the legacy project, which will boost socio-economic activities, as well as the Minister’s “can-do spirit.”

The Minority Whip of the Senate and a member of the Committee, Sen. Osita Ngwu prompted the Ministry to regularly update Nigerians about the pace of the project.

Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Onyechachi Nwebonyi, who described the project as a “game changer” commended the President, the Minister, and the contractor, noting that the project will bring the economy back, as well as benefit Nigerians, tremendously.

The Managing Director of the construction company, Mr. Dany Abboud assured the team of the availability of adequate manpower and state-of-the-art equipment to complete the project, in line with designed specifications and timelines, promising to take them on an inspection of their yard.

NASS passes vote of confidence in Umahi

Meanwhile, the National Assembly and Joint Committee on Works has passed a vote of confidence in the Minister of Works, Mr. David Umahi, affirming the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a work in progress.

The joint committee members passed the vote of confidence in Umahi when he led them on an on-the-site assessment of the ongoing infrastructure projects on Friday in Lagos.

The members assured the Ministry of Works of adequate support amidst petitions allegedly slowing down the pace of work on the coastal road.

They commended President Bola Tinubu for the project they unanimously endorsed as a legacy for his administration.

The legacy project, they said, was designed to cut across all regions of the country, with high economic benefits.

Stakeholders, Minister disagree

In another development, stakeholders and indigenes of the Okun Ajah community, Saturday, disagreed with Umahi during a tour of the site of the construction by members of the House of Representatives Committee on Works.

The minister, while briefing the House of Representatives committee members in the presence of some stakeholders at Eleko Beach, said that the road was diverted in Okun Ajah because of submarine cable.

This declaration, however, generated uproar from stakeholders, who shouted that “there is no marine cable  in Okun Ajah .”

Reacting, the minister said: “When we got to Okun Ajah at KM 16, we discovered that we have a lot of network cables, MTN, Africa Network that is coming from the ocean. Many people do not understand that. Twenty-five years ago, these cables were not there. Now they are there.”

Buttressing his point, the minister explained that about one month ago, there was a cable challenge that disrupted the network throughout the entire West Africa, adding that in order not to go through that challenge again, the ministry met with the stakeholders and a decision to divert the Coastal Road was taken.

“So when you hear people talking that we left the gazetted corridor, it is for this reason because you are talking of a multi-billion naira cable network at that location.

“We have to divert at Kilometres 16 and we now resurface at Kilometres 25. That is why you have been hearing all sorts of things. “

He insisted that the government had finalized the corridor, and “there is no change on that corridor again,” he said.

One of the stakeholders, Yusuf Odunuga appealed to the minister to use the opportunity of the road construction to save the heritage of the people of Okun Ajah from Ocean surge.

Odunuga, who is an indigene of Okun Ajah also insisted that the cables are in Okun Mopo,  which is many kilometers away from the community.

He said  ” Oga, I know it very sure, the cable you mentioned is on Kilometre 23, please use a stone to kill two birds. Save our community from Ocean surge by diverting the road to block the surge of the ocean.”

One of the investors, Arc Ejiro Asholami said that he would be losing more than N40 million (Forty million naira) to the diversion of the road, which is no fault of his.

Umahi, stakeholders meet today in Lagos

Meanwhile, the  National Assembly Joint Committee on Works and the Federal Ministry of Works will  hold a stakeholder engagement meeting today, on the ongoing Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, announced the meeting in a press statement released on Friday in Lagos.

Expected at the parley, which holds at Orchid Hall, Eko Hotel, Lagos at 12 pm, are representatives of renowned firms in the construction industry, government officials, community leaders, and civil society groups.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi will brief the gathering on the progress of the coastal road, a legacy project of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government, and also  receive feedbacks from the public.

A similar meeting on the project was held last week  in Akure , Ondo State.

The Federal Government has set up a legal team to address the numerous court cases impacting the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, Minister of Works David Umahi has said.

He said the decision is crucial as the litigations risk delaying the timely completion of the legacy road project. 

According to him, President Bola Tinubu has also approved compensation for property owners along the project corridor, including those with unauthorized structures, adding that the initiative was aimed at resolving legal obstacles and ensuring smooth project execution.

Umahi shared the updates during an inspection and verification tour of Sections I and II of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway with members of the National Assembly Committees on Works, where the lawmakers expressed their commitment to supporting the scheduled completion of the 700-kilometer project.

Read Also: Tinubu tasks universities on research that ‘ll fast-track national development

Section I of the project is 103 kilometres in length and falls entirely within the Lagos State border. 

However, a phased execution of the project was adopted, for ease of construction beginning with Phase 1 of Section I, which is 47.4 kilometres in length; Ch.0+000 (Ahmadu Bello Way Junction, Victoria Island) – Ch. 47+474 (Eleko Village Junction). 

Phase 1, Section II has a total length of 55.6 kilometres beginning from Ch. 47+474 – Ch. 103 + 000 (Ode – Omi, Lagos-Ogun Border.)

At the project site, Umahi urged the lawmakers to advise other National Assembly Committees to consult the Ministry before summoning its officials over what he described as “frivolous matters” related to the project.

While lamenting that numerous court cases and petitions are impeding progress on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, the Minister revealed that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice had established a legal team to address all pending cases.

In a statement by the Ministry’s 

Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, in a statement on Saturday, the Minister also disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the payment of compensation to owners of properties within the project’s corridor, even to those with illegal structures. 

While urging the aggrieved to approach the courts to seek redress like others had done, Umahi appealed to aggrieved parties to refrain from politicizing the project.

“We have a lot of people who are not interested in this job being done. Everything government wants to do, some people want to thwart it”0he said.

On the Section II of the project, the Minister also informed the visiting legislators that the President had also approved the extension of the 7th Axial Road passing through the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Deep Sea Port, built by Messrs Dangote Industries, on Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, to be linked with the Coastal Highway. 

According to him, the two sections will be linked via a cable bridge, as obtained in other climes like Dubai, UAE.

The meeting of the stakeholders on the Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway will be held on Sunday.

The meeting, billed to be held at Orchid Hall, Eko Hotel, Lagos at 3 pm, is at the instance of the Joint National Assembly Committee on Works, together with the Federal Ministry of Works.

Read Also: LP candidate tackles Aiyedatiwa over Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Dr. Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, announced the meeting in a statement released yesterday.

A similar stakeholder meeting on the coastal road was held in Akure, Ondo State this week.