The Federal Government has renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway, saying the move recognises President Bola Tinubu’s vision and commitment to the landmark infrastructure project.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the development on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja. He also revealed that President Tinubu had approved a 400-kilometre extension of the Fourth Legacy Highway and the reconstruction of sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Umahi said the decision to rename the coastal highway was taken by the Ministry of Works following consultations with the ministry’s leadership.
“That highway is named the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway. 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,” he said.
According to the minister, Tinubu conceived the coastal highway project about 27 years ago while serving as Governor of Lagos State.
“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,” Umahi added.
He described the first phase of the 750-kilometre coastal highway, stretching from Victoria Island to Lekki, as a major milestone in Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
The minister said the 47.47-kilometre six-lane carriageway features a 25-metre-wide median reserved for a future railway line.
Umahi also announced that President Tinubu had approved an additional 400 kilometres for the Fourth Legacy Highway, extending the project beyond its initial design.
He explained that the highway, originally planned to connect Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Maiduguri in Borno State through Jos, Bauchi, Gombe and Biu, will now extend into Taraba State.
The minister further disclosed that the President had approved the dualisation of another 400 kilometres of the East-West Road, the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway using reinforced concrete pavement, the completion of the long-abandoned Ibi Bridge in Taraba State and the construction of the 5.76-kilometre Lao Bridge.
Umahi said the projects are part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to improve road connectivity, stimulate economic growth and modernise critical transport infrastructure across the country.
