Temitope Mustapha, Abuja
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called on Nigerians to treat public infrastructure as a shared national asset, emphasising that roads, bridges, and highways must be preserved and maintained through collective responsibility.
The president made the call at the official commissioning of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
A landmark project, which will span across 750km, through Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, respectively.
President Tinubu appealed to communities along the coastal highway corridor to guard the infrastructure from vandalism, illegal dumping, and unauthorised modifications.
He also emphasised the importance of government collaboration with professional bodies, civil society, and local councils to enforce a maintenance culture across the country.
“These projects belong to all of us. They are not political trophies; they are lifelines for future generations. Every citizen has a role to play in keeping them safe, clean, and functional.” The president said.
Reflecting on the early challenges his administration faced in initiating the six-lane carriageway within a 60-metre corridor of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, President Tinubu recalled critics dismissing the project as a venture that was not realisable.
Many critics dismissed it as impossible, citing the unpredictable and destructive nature of the Atlantic Ocean along the Lekki-Epe-Victoria Island axis.
“We were told it couldn’t be done. Some said the Atlantic would devour us. But we stood firm. We rejected fear, and we embraced science, engineering, and courage.”
He said through strategic coastal defenses and the use of reinforced concrete pavement technology, his administration prevented what he described as a looming ecological disaster.
“A tsunami-like disaster would have washed away Ikoyi and Victoria Island. But today, we have not only tamed the ocean; we’ve turned a threat into a treasure.”
The Nigerian leader highlighted that the completed phase now stands as a testament to visionary leadership, resilience, and the strength of Nigerian engineering, protecting key economic and residential zones while unlocking massive economic potential along the southern corridor.
Task To Build, Caution To Developers
President Tinubu further reiterated that every Nigerian, whether developer, engineer, community member, or public servant, has a stake in its success.
“Let us build, not destroy. Let us protect, not abuse. And let us always remember progress is not handed to us, we must shape it together.”
The president also cautioned property developers and landowners against building on federal infrastructure corridors without proper authorisation, emphasising the irreversible consequences of such actions and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to enforcing urban planning regulations.
President Tinubu declared that the era of indiscriminate development and encroachment on public infrastructure is over.
“The administration will not be disposed to paying compensation for buildings or developments that violate federal right-of-way regulations, saying, “If you build illegally, you bear the consequences.”
He further urged them, as well as other locals, to respect existing urban development laws, noting that illegal construction not only threatens the integrity of national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.
NASS SUPPORT
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for the President’s infrastructure agenda and lauded the coastal highway project as a “generational gift” to Nigeria’s economic and security future.
Speaking shortly after the president, Senator Akpabio commended the president’s vision and execution, describing him as a leader blessed with both “sight and vision”.
“Mr. President, I can confirm once again that with this commissioning today, you have proven that whenever the National Assembly says you are doing well, we are always right,” Akpabio said.
Earlier in his speech, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, applauded President Tinubu for the work he’s doing across the country and for insisting that Nigerian youth should be encouraged to embrace new technology.
He identified the reinforced concrete pavement which, according to him, can last between 50 and 100 years.
Senator Umahi also requested President Tinubu to direct Dangote and BUA cement companies to remit two per cent of their sales to the ministry as a reward for enhancing their sales.
“I want to request, sir, my brother Zach is here; we have increased the sales of my brother Dangote and my brother BUA. Mr President, I want you to order that they should pay us just two per cent of the increase in their sales because we are supporting them. So, my motion is that two per cent of their additional sales should come to the Ministry of Works so that we’ll do more.”
The minister also disclosed that ₦18bn has so far been paid as compensation for Section one of the project.