13/10/2025
Lagos-Calabar coastal highway costs N7.5billion per kilometer.
~Dave Umahi, Minister of Works defended the controversial cost of the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“A standard coastal road is going for N7.5billion per kilometer of standard highway, however, this N7.5 billion includes all the fillings, shore protections, solar lighting throughout, and planting of trees.”.
“The first section, 47.47 kilometers, is costing ₦1.067 trillion and is six lanes. When you divide this ₦1.067 trillion by 47.47 and by two, you will get 11.57 — a kilometer of three lanes
“A standard federal highway is two lanes. So by the time you now divide by three and multiply by two, you will see that a standard coastal road is going for ₦7.5 billion per kilometer.”
The figure covers not only the construction cost but also shoreline defenses, solar-powered street lighting, concrete retaining walls, and landscaping.
The ministry had faced challenging terrain along the route, encountering deep pits up to 20 meters which had to be excavated and refilled in stages before concrete laying could commence.
“You encounter a pit of up to 20 meters and then this pit we removed and then refilled with lumps in levels and stages and then we are passing through there now. At kilometer 32, we also have encountered such.
Comparing the coastal highway project to earlier asphalt-based road projects awarded by previous administrations, the current use of reinforced concrete makes the new road longer-lasting and more cost-effective.
“As at five years ago, the cost of one meter cubed of concrete awarded by the past administration was ₦729,000 per meter cubed.
“We started the coastal highway with ₦350,000 per meter cubed. So leave out the president or any other person, hold me accountable, ask me questions, come for debate, and I will give you the cost of one meter cubed of concrete.”
