News
Tinubu opens first stretch of Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, hints on ₦trillion legacy roads push
By Editor
The long-delayed Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway took a major step forward at the weekend with the temporary opening of Section 1, stretching from the Ahmadu Bello Way junction to Eleko Village in Lagos, as the Federal Government pushed to demonstrate delivery on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s flagship infrastructure agenda.
The opening, performed on behalf of the President by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, marks the first visible milestone on one of Tinubu’s four “legacy projects” — a network of strategic highways designed to knit together Nigeria’s economic corridors across all six geopolitical zones.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a proposed inter-state corridor designed to run along Nigeria’s coastal shoreline, linking Lagos to Cross River State. The highway is expected to pass through nine states—Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River—with a spur extending northwards into the North-Central region. When completed, the corridor will span an estimated 75 kilometres.
Within Lagos State, the project covers a total stretch of about 103 kilometres. To ease construction and delivery, the highway has been broken into phases. Section 1, measuring 47.47 kilometres, runs from Chainage 0+00 at Ahmadu Bello Way Junction to Chainage 47+474 at Eleko Village Junction. This section was awarded to Hi-Tech Construction Company Limited at a contract sum of ₦1.067 trillion.
The scope of work includes the construction of a dual-carriage rigid-pavement highway, supported by associated drainages and culverts, median barriers and street lighting. It also covers the relocation of critical public utilities, including electricity cables and poles, cable ducts, as well as gas and water pipelines, where required.
Umahi said Section 1 covers about 47.47 kilometres of six-lane carriageway built with reinforced concrete pavement, equipped with street lighting, CCTV surveillance and rapid-response facilities designed to address incidents within five minutes. Landscaping and extensive tree planting are also integrated into the design, reflecting what the minister described as a “new quality benchmark” for federal highways.
Beyond Lagos, works are progressing simultaneously across multiple sections of the coastal highway. According to the minister, the second section spans about 55 kilometres between Ogun State and the Lagos border, while Sections 3A and 3B — roughly 72 kilometres after redesign — are underway in Cross River and Rivers states. Sections 4A and 4B are progressing in Akwa Ibom and Cross River, reinforcing the administration’s strategy of starting construction from both ends of the corridor.
In total, over 60 kilometres of the 258-kilometre Lagos–Calabar route have been opened to traffic on a temporary basis, while more than 30 kilometres have completed earthworks, Umahi said.
He framed the project as the fulfilment of a vision first conceived nearly five decades ago during the Shehu Shagari administration, when the idea of a Badagry–Sokoto superhighway was first mooted. Under Tinubu, the concept has been reworked into interconnected coastal and inland corridors, including a six-lane Sokoto axis starting from Ilela, where 120 kilometres have already been awarded and construction commenced.
The minister stressed that the coastal highway is only one pillar of a broader national grid of roads. The third legacy project, running from the South-East through the North-Central to Abuja, has seen 120 kilometres awarded in Ebonyi State at a cost of about ₦456 billion, with concrete pavement already progressing on over 10 kilometres. A fourth legacy corridor — recently approved by the Federal Executive Council — will link Akwanga to Jos, Bauchi and Gombe, extending the network into the North-East.
Umahi said the projects are deliberately designed to interconnect, creating continuous trade and logistics routes from the Atlantic coast to the country’s hinterland. He also revealed plans for a privately financed public-private partnership (PPP) section, including a 3.5-kilometre tunnel linking coastal corridors through island communities.
Addressing concerns around cost and transparency, the minister said anti-corruption agencies, including the ICPC and EFCC, have been invited to independently inspect all legacy projects nationwide. He pledged that detailed cost breakdowns — from bills of quantities to evaluation sheets — are available for scrutiny, challenging critics to “query any item line by line.”
For investors and businesses, the administration argues that the roads will lower logistics costs, open up coastal tourism and industrial zones, and improve access to ports, agro-belts and manufacturing hubs. Umahi maintained that despite security, funding and environmental challenges, progress remains “above 95 per cent on the positives.”
“The policy is simple,” he said. “We start from the beginning and from the end at the same time — so the nation can see, touch and use what is being built.”
As traffic begins to flow on the first Lagos stretch, the government is betting that visible delivery — even on a temporary basis — will help build confidence in what is shaping up to be one of Nigeria’s most ambitious road-building programmes in decades.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the temporary opening of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, Phase 1, Section 1, marks a significant milestone for productivity, commerce and long-term economic growth. Infrastructure of this magnitude goes beyond reducing travel time; it unlocks efficiency across the entire economic value chain, enabling individuals and businesses to focus on productive activity rather than avoidable delays, Sanwo-Olu said.
Currently, journeys along this corridor can take as long as 15 hours. Upon full completion, travel time is expected to be reduced to just a few hours, significantly lowering logistics costs and improving the movement of goods, services and labour. The Governor said broader economic benefits are substantial—faster transit, improved road safety, stronger regional trade linkages and a strategic corridor capable of driving industrial expansion.
According to him, when fully delivered, this project has the potential to boost Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product by catalysing industrialisation, stimulating trade and enhancing connectivity between key commercial hubs. It will also ease congestion, improve road safety and create a more predictable and efficient transport environment for commuters and businesses.
By Editor
Rite Foods Limited and Promasidor Nigeria have called for stronger family support systems, improved child wellbeing, and greater efforts to tackle inequalities affecting millions of Nigerian households as the world marks the 2026 International Day of Families.
The companies, in separate statements commemorating the annual event observed globally on May 15, stressed the need for collective action to address disparities in access to nutrition, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities that continue to impact children and vulnerable families.
This year’s theme, “Families, Inequalities and Child Wellbeing,” highlights growing concerns over widening social and economic gaps and their effects on child development and family stability.
Rite Foods said the occasion aligns with its broader commitment to supporting Nigerian families through quality products, responsible business practices, and people-focused initiatives.
Speaking on the significance of the day, the Managing Director of Rite Foods, Seleem Adegunwa, described families as the foundation of every society, noting that unequal access to essential needs often leaves children most vulnerable.
“Families are at the heart of every society. When access to nutrition, education, healthcare, and opportunity becomes unequal, children are often the most affected. At Rite Foods, we believe every child deserves the chance to grow, thrive, and dream bigger regardless of background,” he said.
Adegunwa added that the company remains committed to delivering quality products that cater to the needs of Nigerian families while maintaining strong connections with everyday consumer realities.
Rite Foods’ product portfolio includes Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks, Fearless Energy Drinks, Sosa Fruit Drink, Bigi Premium Table Water, Rite Spicy, Bigi Beef, and Bigi Flex Sausages, consumed across different parts of the country.
Also speaking, the company’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Ekuma Eze, stressed the importance of collaboration among businesses, communities, and policymakers in addressing inequality and improving child welfare.
“Real progress happens when businesses, communities, and policymakers work together. Supporting families goes beyond the products we make. It is about creating environments where people feel supported, included, and empowered to succeed,” he said.
Similarly, Promasidor Nigeria emphasised the importance of investing in family welfare and child development as critical pillars for sustainable national growth.
According to the company, conversations around child wellbeing should go beyond awareness campaigns and translate into long-term investments that strengthen family structures and improve access to nutrition and opportunities.
The Chief Executive Officer of Promasidor Nigeria, François Gillet, said the wellbeing of children reflects the strength of society’s foundations.
“Families are the foundation of every society, and the well-being of children reflects the strength of that foundation. Addressing inequalities that limit access to proper nutrition and care is essential to sustainable development,” he said.
Gillet noted that Promasidor’s mission has consistently focused on making quality nutrition accessible to households, especially amid current economic pressures facing many Nigerian families.
Promasidor’s brands, including Cowbell, Loya Milk, Onga, Top Tea, Kremela, Twisco, and Miksi, continue to support nutrition and daily nourishment in millions of homes nationwide.
The company also highlighted its broader social impact initiatives, including the Ikun Dairy Farm in Ekiti State, which promotes local economic inclusion, as well as education-focused programmes aimed at empowering young Nigerians.
Promasidor stated that improving child wellbeing requires sustained investments in systems and policies that strengthen families and create equal opportunities for children to grow in safe, healthy, and supportive environments.
Both companies reiterated that stronger families are critical to building resilient communities and fostering long-term national development.
By Editor
(2nd Right) GM, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Sophia Horsfall, presenting entries for The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation to the Chairman of the Prize’s Advisory Board, Prof. Barth Nnaji, at a press conference, in Lagos.
The 2026 edition of The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation has reached a new milestone with a record 237 entries, the highest number of submissions since the award was established in 2004.
The entries were formally handed over to the Prize’s Advisory Board during a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, officially commencing the adjudication process for what remains one of Africa’s most prestigious science awards.
This year’s competition retains the theme, “Innovations in ICT, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Digital Technologies for Development,” a continuation of the 2025 focus area. The previous edition ended without a winner after no submission met the benchmark required by the judges.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development at Nigeria LNG Limited, said the continued emphasis on digital innovation reflects both global technological trends and Nigeria’s development priorities.
According to her, the Prize is designed to identify innovations capable of delivering measurable socio-economic impact.
“In this fourth industrial revolution, digital infrastructure is becoming as essential as electricity and water. Nigeria’s economic sustainability depends on our ability to move from promising research to transformative innovation that delivers real solutions,” Horsfall stated.
She stressed that the organisers remain committed to maintaining world-class standards, noting that international recognition for Nigerian innovation must be earned through rigorous evaluation.
“We believe that if a Nigerian discovery is to command global respect, it must withstand the highest levels of scrutiny. That conviction informed the difficult decision taken seven months ago,” she added, referring to the decision not to declare a winner in 2025.
While acknowledging the strong interest generated by the digital technology theme, Horsfall maintained that only innovations demonstrating scalability, originality, and practical relevance would qualify for consideration.
Receiving the entries on behalf of the Advisory Board, Barth Nnaji described the handover as a critical phase in the selection process, reiterating that the credibility of the Prize rests on uncompromising standards of excellence.
“Our refusal to award the prize in 2025 was not a rejection of the efforts of Nigerian innovators. Rather, it reaffirmed that The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation upholds a gold standard of excellence,” he said.
Nnaji explained that submissions would continue to undergo rigorous intellectual and technical scrutiny based on originality, depth, relevance, and demonstrable impact.
He added that the Prize is particularly interested in innovations capable of solving real-life national challenges.
“Our broader objective is to identify solutions that address Nigeria’s pressing needs, whether through digital health technologies for underserved communities or AI-driven tools for preserving cultural heritage and indigenous languages,” he noted.
Other members of the Advisory Board include Nike Akande and Yusuf Abubakar.
Now in its 22nd year, The Nigeria Prize for Science and Innovation is valued at $100,000 and is widely regarded as Africa’s leading science and innovation award. The winner of the 2026 edition is expected to be announced at a world press conference in September.
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