President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday flagged off Section 3A/3B of the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, at Awi, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Represented by Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River, the President described the project as an economic enabler, job creation booster, and a catalyst for intra and inter-regional integration.
“This is not just a road project, it is a corridor of prosperity that will unlock vast economic opportunities, create jobs, promote cultural integration, and connect our Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone to national and global markets,” he said.
The 65km, three-lane dual carriageway, being constructed by HITECH Construction Company Limited, is designed with continuously reinforced concrete pavement and is expected to be completed within 36 months.
Governor Otu called on Cross River residents to reignite their entrepreneurial spirit to leverage the economic opportunities presented by the highway.
He added, “Relevant agencies are ready to provide soft loans, grants, professional guidance, and other incentives to support business operations.”
The governor also linked food security to national sovereignty, stating that the recently launched agricultural free trade zone would benefit from the coastal highway’s seamless evacuation corridor.
“Without food sufficiency and the ability to control our future, we risk becoming dependent on world economic powers,” he added.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Minister for Works, Senator David Umahi, praised President Tinubu’s vision and commitment.
Umahi said that only a President like Tinubu could carry out such a huge project because he has the capacity, describing the project as “a legacy project 27 years in the making,” and saying that starting it in Calabar was “a powerful statement of inclusion for the South-South region.”
Umahi vowed to oversee the project personally, adding: “I take full responsibility for the alignment, the cost, and the contractor. This is a national investment, not a political favour.”
He also praised HiTech for mobilising to site without mobilisation funds, calling it “proof of their patriotism and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda,” while cautioning underperforming contractors that delays would not be tolerated.
The Federal Controller of Works in Cross River State, Engineer Olayinka Onafuye, affirmed his commitment to monitoring the project to ensure compliance with federal standards.
“I will be working with the contractors on ground on this section,” he said. “We will also be working in conjunction with the two host communities, Akamkpa and Odukpani LGAs, which means that I have to be up and doing until the road from this end is completed to standard.”
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