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FEC Approves N1.067tn For Section Of 700km Coastal Highway
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Bola Tinubu, has approved a contract of about N1.067 trillion for the construction of the first phase of the coastal highway.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents at Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Umahi explained that the phase, a 47.47 kilometers dual carriageway of five lanes on each side and a train track on the middle, is part of the 700-kilometer road spanning nine states and with two spurs leading up north.
He also said that the project will be constructed with concrete.
“Today, we had the approval of FEC for the construction of 700 kilometers of coastal routes running from Lagos through the nine coastal routes or states up to Cross River, meaning that it goes to Lagos, the Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom.
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“But we also have two spurs that lead to the north, from the ongoing Badagry-Sokoto route and the one that leads to the Trans-Sahara route that goes from Ogoja down to Cameroon.
“Now, it is a dual carriageway and each carriageway has five lanes and a provision for a train infrastructure that will be in the middle.
“The October 30th, FEC had approved that this project be procured under EPC+ Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing. And so in favor of High Tech Construction African Limited, which means that they were supposed to search for funding.
“They already have started searching for the funding, but hitches here are there. And so, the Ministry went back to Mr. President to ask for two things and that was in January 18. We asked can we fast fast-track this.
“Since this project was going to be procured in two phases and multiple sections, can we get the federal government to fund phase one, which is what is 47.47 kilometers running from Ahmadu Bello in Lagos down to Lekki Deep Seaport? Mr. President graciously approved.
“We also have the challenge of a lot of infrastructure on this on-the-road corridor. So, we requested Mr. President to approve that we realign the road, so that we move closer to the ocean shore, and then avoid those properties which could lead to litigation. Mr. President also approved.
“But then that led to a new challenge. And the challenge is the need to start the project as quickly as possible as to protect, you know, the communities along the corridor.
“So today, we have procured the first section, which is 47.47 kilometers, under 10 lanes and FEC graciously approved the contract for N1.067tn with no objection.
“FEC also approved that the second section be procured, to be funded by or federal government, which is about 57 kilometers and runs from Lekki Deep Seaport to the boundary between Ogun and section two of phase one.
“Then the third section is to start from the end of the road, which is Calabar and so that’s about 50 kilometers, and it’s procured under section three of phase one, and is running from Calabar and going towards Akwa Ibom and Port Harcourt.
“Then the other sections and other places will still be under EPC+F in favor of High Tech Construction Africa Limited.
“The company is very well known in this kind of infrastructure development. An example is the Eko Atlantic Ocean such which would have swallowed the entire Victoria, and they’ve been able to conquer it under the same procurements.
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