- The NOA says the Lagos-Calabar highway will cut travel time, lower costs, and boost small businesses.
- It will create jobs, grow tourism, and include eco-friendly features.
- The 2025 budget backs infrastructure. Tinubu calls it a “pathway to prosperity.”
National Orientation Agency (NOA) has described the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway as a major infrastructure project that will boost economic development and promote national unity.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in its weekly publication, The Explainer, the NOA quoted Minister of Works David Umahi, who called the 700-kilometre, 10-lane superhighway a “blueprint for national transformation.”
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The NOA noted that, according to the minister, the project would cut travel time between Lagos and Calabar from 12 hours to 4.5 hours, lower logistics costs by 15–20 per cent, and support over 500,000 small businesses.
Umahi was quoted saying, “This is not just road construction—it’s an investment in Nigeria’s future.
“It is a visionary undertaking that will drive inclusive development, improve access to markets, and empower over 500,000 small businesses along the corridor.
“The project links the industrial strength of Lagos with the agricultural potential of the Niger Delta and Southeast while addressing key infrastructure, economic and security challenges.”
In the report, the minister also noted that the project could boost Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2 per cent through the creation of new industrial corridors, increased trade, and improved tourism access along the coast.
The NOA stated that the Lagos-Calabar highway is projected to create 10,000 direct jobs in construction and engineering, along with over 15,000 indirect jobs in logistics, material supply, and support services.
It said, “The highway is expected to boost tourism revenue by 25 per cent by providing access to underutilised beaches such as Ilashe Island in Lagos and Ibeno Beach in Akwa Ibom State.
“Its eco-friendly elements, such as reforestation initiatives and a rail system to reduce emissions, align with sustainable development goals.
“The road’s design features solar-powered CCTV surveillance systems for safety, a central rail line for integrated transport, and a tolling system to ensure sustainability. It is financed through a 30 per cent public and 70 per cent private investment model, with full cost recovery targeted over 15 years.
“The project is comparable to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, which generates €3 billion annually,” the agency stated, adding that its environmental components—such as mangrove restoration and wildlife corridor designs—are aligned with international standards.”
The NOA described the highway as a strategic move to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit, currently at 30 per cent of GDP—far below the World Bank’s recommended 70 per cent.
Referring to the 2025 Appropriation Act, the agency praised the Tinubu administration for allocating N23.96 trillion to capital projects, noting that, for the first time in decades, this surpasses the N13.64 trillion set aside for recurrent spending.
“This shift reflects a clear commitment to reversing decades of underinvestment in public infrastructure,” the NOA said.
According to the agency, the highway is one of several signature projects, alongside the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway and Eastern railway, geared toward unlocking regional development and national productivity.
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President Bola Tinubu had said the road is a “pathway to prosperity” and a symbol of national unity while commissioning the projects to mark his two years in office.
