The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said on Sunday in Lagos State that he had been given a presidential directive on the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway.
He spoke after inspecting the end of Section 1, Phase 1 of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and its realignment.
Umahi said: “I’m happy that Mr. President has also directed me to start the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway.
“This one is a spur of the coastal highway, and that one is 1,000 kilometres.
“We’ve started the design and I’m very sure that as soon as the Federal Executive Council approves it, we will be starting at the Sokoto side, which is the zero point.
“We also have another spur, which is going to go from Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja going to Cameroon.
“So we have that spur and it’s about 361 kilometres, going through Otukpo in Benue to Nasarawa and ending up at Apo in Abuja.
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“We are also going to be presenting it to Mr. President.
“And when this is done, then the coastal routes like we promised will go to circle the entire country.”
The Minister said upon completion, based on the approval of President Bola Tinubu, the coastal road would connect the South West, South South, North East, North West and North Central regions of Nigeria.
Umahi expressed strong belief in the significance of the coastal road project, which he said would be a first in Africa.
He said: “So, this will be the legacy that we’ve never seen in Africa.
“And I think that God has sent Mr, President to do this and he’s just doing it.
“He’s a man of courage and we are also learning courage following him.”
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