FG positions legacy road projects as economic corridors, boost national development

By Onu Okorie

Federal Government has repositioned its major road projects as economic corridors designed to connect Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, unlock investment opportunities and facilitate the movement of people and goods across the country.
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, disclosed this in Abuja while providing an update on major road projects being executed under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Umahi said the government’s four flagship legacy projects — the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Highway and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road — were conceived as long-term infrastructure investments to strengthen national connectivity and stimulate economic growth.
According to the minister, the projects go beyond conventional road construction, as they are designed to support agriculture, manufacturing, trade, tourism and other productive activities across the country.
“The legacy projects are not merely road construction schemes but long-term investments designed to transform Nigeria’s economic landscape,” Umahi said.
Coastal Highway Progresses Amid Engineering Challenges
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, one of the administration’s flagship infrastructure projects, has recorded progress, with the first 47-kilometre section completed, according to the minister.
He said work was advancing on the approximately 55-kilometre second section, where pavement construction was nearing completion alongside the construction of flyovers, overpasses and underpasses.
Umahi explained that some sections of the highway had undergone redesign to accommodate existing and planned infrastructure around the Lekki axis, including the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport.
He said the adjustments were intended to integrate the highway with other transportation and industrial facilities, ensuring that it functions as part of a broader network rather than as an isolated road project.
In parts of Ondo State, difficult terrain and subsoil conditions have also necessitated alignment adjustments, with extensive filling and ground improvement works being undertaken.
The minister further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the integration of sections of the coastal highway with the existing East-West Road in the Niger Delta.
According to him, some sections of the East-West Road would be raised to address flooding and anticipated climate-related challenges, with the aim of improving the corridor’s resilience and long-term functionality.
The Benin City Bypass and other sections of the coastal corridor are also expected to provide alternative routes for motorists and reduce traffic congestion across parts of the South-South region.
Sokoto-Badagry Highway Targets Agricultural Growth
The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway is another major project the government hopes will strengthen economic activities by connecting communities and commercial centres from northern Nigeria to the southwest.
Umahi said construction was progressing at different stages across Sokoto, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun and Badagry, while work in Niger and Kwara states was expected to commence soon.
He said the project was designed not only to reduce travel time but also to promote agricultural production, industrial development, tourism and housing along the corridor.
The minister noted that improved road connectivity would facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce from production centres to markets, while creating opportunities for private investment in areas linked by the highway.
The government is also considering complementary investments along major infrastructure routes to maximise their economic benefits.
Calabar-Abuja Corridor to Strengthen Regional Connectivity
The Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Highway is expected to improve connections between the coastal axis and northern Nigeria, with the minister describing the route as part of the ancient Trans-Saharan Route.
Umahi said work had progressed on the initial sections of the corridor, while additional sections had been approved to improve the project’s economic viability and attractiveness to potential financiers.
The highway is expected to strengthen connectivity across the South-South, South-East and North-Central geopolitical zones, potentially facilitating trade and the movement of goods between the regions.
Similarly, the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road is being developed as a major northern transportation corridor.
The minister said the project, initially designed around a single carriageway, was being expanded to improve connectivity across the northern states.
He added that the scope had been extended to include a Jos-Ibi spur in Taraba State, with design and procurement processes underway.
The expansion is expected to improve transportation links between communities and commercial centres across the North-Central and North-East regions.
FG Lists Roads, Bridges Ready for Commissioning
Beyond the four flagship legacy projects, Umahi said the Ministry of Works had completed several other road and bridge projects or advanced them to stages where they were ready for commissioning.
The projects include the Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kaduna-Pambeguwa Road, Lafia Bypass and Bodo-Bonny Road, including bridges across the Opobo Channel.
Other projects cited by the minister were the Gombe-Potiskum road rehabilitation, sections of the Azare road linking Jigawa and Bauchi states, the five-span Ampoha Bridge and a 23-kilometre flyover project involving 23 spans along the Ekpoma-Benin axis.
He also listed a three-span, 75-metre dualised bridge among the projects undertaken by the ministry.
Umahi said sections of the Lagos-Badagry, Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Shagamu-Ore corridors had either been completed or had reached advanced stages of construction.
The ministry, he added, was updating its database of completed and ongoing projects and would make a comprehensive record available to the public through its website.
The government’s emphasis on economic corridors reflects its broader infrastructure strategy of linking regions, improving access to markets and encouraging investment through an expanded national road network.
However, the long-term economic impact of the projects will depend on their timely completion, effective maintenance and integration with other infrastructure, as well as the extent to which improved connectivity translates into increased commercial activity and investment.