The Federal Government says the main pavement covering the first 105 kilometres of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is expected to be completed by November 2026.
Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, disclosed this while receiving the report of the Northwest phase of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its President, Akinteye Afeez.
Umahi said construction on the coastal highway was progressing rapidly, although bridge works were still ongoing across Sections One and Two of the project.
He explained that while some bridge structures associated with Section One are being delivered under the Section Two component, work on the main road pavement covering 105 kilometres is scheduled for completion by November.
The minister also raised concerns over the vandalism and destruction of infrastructure along the project corridor, particularly around the Apapa area of Lagos.
Umahi said he was disturbed by the extent of damage beneath bridges in the area, alleging that some people and heavy-duty vehicles were using spaces around bridge structures as passageways.
He warned that the removal of metal components and destruction of blockwork could compromise infrastructure and reduce the value of government investments.
According to him, public infrastructure should be protected because it forms part of the country’s long-term development assets.
Umahi spoke after NANS submitted its findings from the Northwest leg of its nationwide assessment of federal road projects in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Sokoto states.
The students’ association said the exercise was designed to allow students to physically assess ongoing federal road projects, particularly routes that provide access to tertiary institutions and student communities.
Among the roads inspected were the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kano Northern Bypass, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Kano-Katsina Road, Kaduna-Kano Road, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Zaria-Funtua-Sokoto Road, Mando-Birnin Gwari Road, Sokoto-Badagry Road and Illela-Dukamaje Road.
NANS also requested the construction of a pedestrian bridge near the Federal Co-operative College in Kaduna along the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor to improve safety for students and other road users.
In response, Umahi directed relevant ministry officials to take up the request and said the pedestrian bridge would be provided.
The minister further said future road projects would, where feasible, incorporate access routes linking major tertiary institutions to surrounding highways.
He pointed to pedestrian bridge projects being undertaken at the University of Abuja and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, as examples of measures aimed at addressing safety concerns around educational institutions.
In its assessment, NANS said it observed significant federal road investments across the Northwest, highlighting the importance of several routes to students and surrounding communities.
The association singled out the Kano Northern Bypass for its links to about 10 tertiary institutions in the region. It also identified the Kano-Maiduguri Road as an important transportation corridor serving communities and institutions, including Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil.
NANS also highlighted the ongoing reconstruction of the 122.89-kilometre Mando-Birnin Gwari Federal Highway in Kaduna State, describing the route as important for connectivity between states and communities.
Umahi said the Federal Government remained committed to completing ongoing road projects, noting that President Bola Tinubu had made project completion a priority.
He urged Nigerians to help safeguard public infrastructure, warning that vandalism and deliberate damage to roads, bridges and related facilities could undermine development efforts.
The minister also welcomed the NANS inspection, saying it gave students an opportunity to independently observe government projects and provide feedback based on what they saw on the ground.
