Minister of Works David Umahi has said the main pavement of the first 105 kilometers of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is expected to be completed by November 2026, while bridge construction continues along sections of the route.
Umahi made the disclosure in Abuja while receiving a report from the National Association of Nigerian Students following its inspection of federal road projects in the North-West.
He said construction on the coastal highway was progressing at a rapid pace and that the main pavement across sections one and two was nearing completion.
“The speed on that coastal highway is unprecedented,” Umahi said, adding that bridge works were still underway.
The minister also expressed concern about vandalism and damage to public infrastructure around the project corridor, particularly the Apapa axis.
He said metal components, block works and other infrastructure had been damaged, while heavy-duty vehicles were using spaces beneath bridges in ways that could threaten structural safety.
Umahi said government investment in roads and bridges would not deliver the expected development benefits if citizens failed to protect the infrastructure.
The NANS delegation also presented findings from inspections of federal roads in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states.
Roads inspected included the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kano Northern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Kano-Katsina Road, Kaduna-Kano Road, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Zaria-Funtua-Sokoto Road, Mando-Birnin Gwari Road, Sokoto-Badagry Road and Illela-Dukamaje Road.
NANS said the exercise was designed to independently assess the condition and progress of federal road projects, especially routes serving tertiary institutions and student communities.
The association recommended a pedestrian bridge at the Federal Co-operative College in Kaduna along the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano route to improve student safety.
It also said several projects inspected were strategically important for inter-state connectivity and access to higher institutions.
Umahi said the Federal Government remained committed to completing ongoing projects across the country.
