President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday commissioned the first completed section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway, describing it as a crucial infrastructure for trade, tourism, and national integration.
The commissioning, which took place in Lagos as part of events marking his administration’s second anniversary, also featured the virtual inauguration of multiple completed road projects nationwide and the flag-off of several others under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Addressing the gathering, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to homegrown solutions, technology transfer, and inclusive development. He directed Minister of Works David Umahi and other relevant ministers to ensure full enforcement of local content policies and compliance with regulations.
“We have gazetted and published the required setbacks, and we will enforce them. Developers who fail to obtain approvals will not be compensated,” Tinubu warned.
The president also emphasized that infrastructure should not be treated as “brick and mortar” alone but as tools for economic growth, job creation, and national unity. He cited the role of Engineer Ronald Chagoury in averting a looming environmental disaster in Lagos, likening the potential damage to a “greater-than-tsunami” scenario in Victoria Island and Ikoyi.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain patient and optimistic, pointing to signs of economic recovery such as stabilizing exchange rates and falling food prices.
Projects virtually commissioned by the President include the 166.8km Shagamu–Ibadan section of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, the 94km East-West Road (Eleme Junction–Ahoada), and the 67.1km Alesi–Ugep Road in Cross River. Others are the Ikorodu–Shagamu Road (30.4km), part of the Enugu–Lokpanta Expressway (16km), and new bridges in Enugu and Ebonyi States.
Additionally, the first 15km of the Port Harcourt–Onne Junction segment of the East-West Road and a rehabilitated portion of the Lagos–Badagry Expressway (48.6km) were also inaugurated.
Newly flagged-off projects include the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesha–Akure–Benin highway, the Nembe–Brass Road in the Niger Delta, parts of the Enugu–Onitsha expressway, and the Abakpa Flyover in Enugu State.
In a moment of political reflection at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio advised second-term governors to avoid selecting successors based solely on loyalty or subservience. “Don’t give power to anybody who is not prepared,” he said, warning that such choices often lead to betrayal.
The event drew top dignitaries including Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, Ministers Dave Umahi, Wale Edun, Atiku Bagudu, and Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
President Tinubu’s infrastructure drive forms a central pillar of his Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at driving economic transformation and national cohesion through large-scale public works.
