Lagos-Calabar Highway: 147 Structures to Be Affected, Tinubu Says
By Emmanuel Daniji
President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that 147 structures in Lagos State are expected to be affected by the construction of a service lane for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
According to the President, only five of the affected structures will require complete demolition, while the remaining 142 will experience what he described as minimal impact from the project.
Tinubu disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos alongside the flag-off of rehabilitation works on the Eko and Marine bridges and repairs to a flood-damaged section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The President, who was represented at the event by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, assured property owners affected by the project that the Federal Government would provide compensation where applicable.
He urged affected residents to remain patient as the process progresses.
“It will be given to you at the right time,” Tinubu said.
The President said the stakeholders’ engagement was organised to improve communication between the government, residents and other stakeholders, stressing that public cooperation would be important to the successful completion of the infrastructure projects.
The figure of 147 affected structures was disclosed during the engagement by a representative of the AEC consortium involved in the project.
Tinubu also highlighted the importance of the ongoing rehabilitation works on the Eko and Marine bridges.
He described Eko Bridge as one of the major bridges constructed in Nigeria during the post-independence era, while noting that Marine Bridge serves as an important access route to Lagos seaports.
The President commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his efforts towards the rehabilitation and expansion of the country’s road infrastructure.
He appealed to Lagos residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with the government, particularly where existing structures and properties may be affected by infrastructure development.
“For all of us to enjoy the full benefit of infrastructure, we have to shift a bit, so that it becomes an asset that will outlive all of us,” he said.
Tinubu also said the Federal Government remained open to constructive criticism but urged stakeholders to support infrastructure projects that had been properly planned and were being executed in the public interest.
“It is my honour to flag off all of these projects to the benefit of mankind, to our citizens in Lagos, to the benefit of all our people across the country,” he said.
