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The Federal Government has started the construction of the South-South axis of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway while new road projects have been put on hold.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced that due to a lack of funds, the Federal Government would not undertake any new road projects in 2025.
This announcement was made during the stakeholders’ engagement on the proposed alignment for section 3A – 38km of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which was held at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar, on Sunday.
This engagement followed a previous one that took place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday.
Umahi clarified that the focus of the Federal Government would be on completing existing projects and the three major road projects of the Bola Tinubu administration's Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said: “These legacy projects consist of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, a 1,000km highway linking Sokoto to Badagry passing through seven states and connecting to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway at Ahmadu Bello Way, Lagos; the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700km coastal highway connecting Lagos State to Cross River State through eight states.
"Others are the Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo Abuja 477km Superhighway, linking Calabar to Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states and terminating at Apo in Abuja. Construction on the Calabar end of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is set to begin in August."
Umahi emphasized that no new road projects would be initiated in 2025 due to limited funds, with a focus instead on completing ongoing and legacy projects.
The minister also reiterated the ultimatum issued to contractors working on government road projects, warning that they must improve their performance or risk losing their contracts.
Umahi expressed disappointment at the slow progress of work on the Akwa Ibom and Cross River-Calabar-Itu section awarded to three contractors and stated that if Julius Berger (Plc) failed to return to the site within the seven-day ultimatum, their contract would be terminated.
Umahi also commended Sermatech Limited, an indigenous contractor, for their better performance compared to Berger.
He stressed the importance of maintaining and improving the country's roads for the benefit of all.
Umahi sought the backing of relevant stakeholders in the state to ensure a smooth implementation of the project.
The minister praised Senator Bassey Otu, the Governor of Cross River State, for collaborating with the Federal Government on the road projects.
The governor, represented by his deputy Peter Odey, promised continued cooperation with the Ministry of Works to ensure the timely completion of the road projects.
The state Surveyor-General, Patrick Bassey, called for strong collaboration among stakeholders and requested that no Certificate of Occupancy be issued along the project route.
Prominent traditional rulers, former deputy governors, politicians, religious leaders, and other leaders of thoughts urged the Federal Government to intervene on other important roads in the state to boost economic growth.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works accompanied the minister to the meeting.
The minister detailed the project phases in Uyo a day earlier, explaining the sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and emphasizing the potential benefits for the states involved.
He also expressed gratitude for the support received from Nigeria.
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