…says all South-East governors support Tinubu
Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has announced that Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be tolled starting December 2025, marking a critical turning point in the project’s phased completion and a bold move to recoup investment on one of Nigeria’s most ambitious infrastructure undertakings.
The disclosure came during a feature interview for a forthcoming State House documentary marking President Bola Tinubu’s second year in office.
According to Umahi, more than 80% of Section 1—stretching 47.47 kilometres from Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island to the Lekki Deep Sea Port and ending at Eleko Junction – has been completed.
Tolling on this section, he said, will inaugurate a new era of road financing and regional development.
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A statement issued by Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) quoted the minister as saying: “By December, we will begin tolling Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“We project a 10-year return on investment. This is more than a road – it is an economic corridor with solar-powered lighting, CCTV surveillance, and carbon credit benefits.
The highway, a six-lane concrete-paved expressway, is one of four transformative infrastructure projects championed by President Tinubu’s administration.
Others include the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Trans-Saharan Trade Route, and the soon-to-be-launched Ogun-Ondo-Niger Corridor.
Collectively, they represent a massive federal push to unlock regional economies and deepen national integration.
As of May, the ministry had completed 30 kilometres of Section 1 and is on course to finish an additional 10 kilometres under Section 2, which runs 55 kilometres from Eleko Junction to the Lagos-Ogun border.
Senator Umahi noted that the economic potential of the Lagos-Calabar Highway extends beyond mobility.
“It is an economic driver for port access, tourism, logistics, and coastal community integration. It will be a game-changer for the South-South, Southeast, and South West,” he said.
Just days ago, construction began on Sections 3 and 3B—65 kilometres in total – covering 38 kilometres in Cross River State and 27 kilometres in Akwa Ibom. Umahi said the excitement from host communities underscores the scale of impact the project is already generating.
Beyond the roadworks, Umahi used the opportunity to reaffirm the South East’s growing alignment with President Tinubu’s administration, describing it as a reflection of new federal attention to a region long plagued by claims of marginalisation.
“For the first time, the South East has a Minister of Works. We’re seeing real projects: Port Harcourt to Enugu, Enugu to Abakaliki, Onitsha to Owerri, and the Second Niger Bridge, whose cost the President has already paid 30% upfront,” he stated.
All five governors from the region, Umahi claimed, are working in support of the Tinubu government regardless of political affiliations.
He also revealed that plans are underway for a regional summit to consolidate the South East’s support and formally endorse the President for the 2027 elections.
“What Ndi Igbo want is fairness—and they are getting it under President Tinubu. I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us. Leadership is not about ego—it is about the people. If the work is being done, let us support it,” Umahi urged.
He described the President’s infrastructure drive as a revival of Nigeria’s long-forgotten masterplans. “The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway was first envisioned over 40 years ago under Shehu Shagari.
“The Trans-Saharan Trade Route dates back to colonial times. Today, Tinubu is breathing life into these dormant dreams.”
Umahi credited Tinubu’s foresight for the Lagos-Calabar Highway concept, claiming the President had envisioned it seven years before his election.
“These projects are not political—they are legacy-defining. They are environmentally sustainable, economically viable, and designed to serve Nigeria’s future,” Umahi said.
and then