Works Minister, Umahi says completed section of Lagos Calabar Highway to be opened for public use in December
- FG to integrate Nigerian Civil Engineers, Electricians, Mechanics, Others in Mega Road projects from January 2026
The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE today, inspected the section one and two of the Lagos Calabar Road in Lagos and pledged that following the directive of President Bola Tinubu that the carriage way will be opened for Nigerians’ use by December 2025.
The minister made this commitment during the inspection of the road with the contractor, works officials and newsmen at the Lagos Calabar Road, noting that they are assessing the road to ensure that everything is being done in order to have an unfettered access from channel zero to 47 up to 55.
He disclosed that they have set aside from the 12th to the 17th of December 2025 to come and publicly open the road for public use.
“We have also set aside April 2026 to have section one and section two of the Lagos Calabar Highway to be fully completed and commissioned.
He commended Hitech for the tremendous work being carried out on the road despite all the encountered pits with depth of up to 20 meters, swampy and water side challenges, which they were surmounting with their equipment.
He recalled how Dutch Bank asserted that due to the 70 percent loan from the foreign component that the job was heavily undervalued, only for the ministry to discover when it was open for people who may want to compete that it was oversubscribed by over $100million.
He described Hitech as a veritable partner in the road infrastructure development in the country, adding that the discovery shows the viability of the project and the prudence of the ministry of works.
The minister inspected the project being handled by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), noting that the 25kilometers road project spans three lanes dual carriageway to Ijebuode to be completed in 21 months.
Umahi hinted that the contractor had to stop due to the presence of a shrine on the road axis and warned that if nothing is done by the community about the removal of the shrine for the work to progress, it will be taken away without further notice.
He announced that the Federal Government has paid 30 percent of the cost of the entire project and urged the contractor to sort for the 70 percent loan.
He explained that at the end of the road project in 21 months, it will be towed and that China Harbour has the right of first refusal, because they want to get people who can operate and maintain the road.
Engr. Musa Saidu Director Highway Bridges and Design explained that it kicked off in September 2025, adding that they have been engaging NNPC and others due the pipes and cables on the road, as well as the pipe that supply gas to Dangote refinery and have included the same in the road design.
The Minister also inspected the flyover undergoing construction at Channel 47 that will link the section one and two of the Lagos Calabar highway and a clearance from where the Dangote Tax credit road is passing from one seaport down to the Lagos road.
Speaking on the project, Managing Director of Hitech, Danny Abboud, stated that it will help to keep traffic uninterrupted, adding that he believed they will deliver the project by April 2026.
Umahi formally announced that the proposed Tinubu Mentorship programme will take off in January 2026.
The minister said “We want to advertise for 10 civil engineers per state and expose them to projects, especially the mega projects within that state. The intention is for the purpose of transfer technology. They will work as long as the project will last and at the end of the day we will look for seed money to buy equipment so that the people can be on their own. They can serve as sub-contractors to contract on other projects.
“We will be looking for five designers per state to benefit from the experts, then we will look for electrical engineers for the to participate in solar of those mega projects. The same thing with mechanics, concrete people, iron binders, carpenters among others. That will roll out in the first week of January 2026.
“By December we will be doing the advertisement and we will get the Nigerian Society of Engineers to do the interview first to select the best. Then we will do another interview so that we get the best and send them to perfect their trade.”
PHOTO NEWS
