A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Segun Showunmi, has lauded the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road project, describing it as a transformative investment that will drive economic growth and benefit future generations.
In a statement on Sunday, Showunmi praised President Bola Tinubu for embarking on major infrastructural projects capable of redefining Nigeria’s development trajectory. His remarks followed his participation in an inspection tour of the coastal highway with a federal government delegation led by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi.
Showunmi said the scale of work on the project, particularly in Uyo and Calabar, underscored the federal government’s commitment to delivering a landmark infrastructure. He highlighted the “extraordinary” level of engineering activity on-site, noting the extensive overburden clearance, alignment demarcations and concrete pavement already laid in parts of Calabar.
“The site pulsed with purposeful energy—machines humming, metal clanking in synchrony. When we reached the Calabar section and saw the concrete pavement already laid, my heart burst with joy. We saw the beginning, the middle and now the emerging end,” he said.
The PDP stalwart expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and Minister Umahi, describing the project as a legacy comparable to those of past national leaders such as Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and former heads of state and presidents who advanced Nigeria’s infrastructure.
“Now, President Tinubu is delivering something the next generation will look back on with gratitude—vast, defining and transformative. A true game-changer and a powerful growth pole for the future,” he said.
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Showunmi also commended the contractors for what he described as their adherence to high construction standards, adding that the project would enhance Nigeria’s global standing.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a 750-kilometre road linking Lagos to Calabar along the Atlantic coast. The project traverses nine states—Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo—and includes a planned rail component. Constructed under a public–private partnership arrangement, it is expected to boost trade and tourism by reducing travel time across the corridor.
Although the project has attracted public debate over cost, environmental impact and demolitions along its route, the federal government maintains that it will deliver major economic and developmental benefits to the region.