The 700km Lagos -Calabar Coastal Highway will be ready in seven years, the Minister of Works, David Umahi has assured.
He said contrary to the misleading figure of the cost of N8b per kilometre by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the standard gauge design of the road adopted by the Federal government would cost N4.59b per kilometre.
He said the former design of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) was not comprehensive enough, which was why it was replaced by the standard gauge design that has multiple features of bridges, till plazas and economic settlements among others.
Umahi, while responding to questions on multiple national televisions on his visit to Lagos on Wednesday and Thursday over former Vice President Abubakar on the cost of the project, also debunked allegation the project was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd without competitive bidding.
He stated that the project’s award followed the due process outlined in the Procurement Act, with considerations given to capacity, competence, and track record as mandated by law.
He cited Hitech’s successful projects like Eko Atlantic, which involved controlling the ocean, and previous concrete pavement road projects as examples.
On the scope of the project, Umahi said: “We’re looking at 700 kilometers with two spurs, one from the Badagary section going to Sokoto and the other African Trans Sahara trade route from Enugu to Abakaliki, Ogoja, Calabar going to Cameroun.
“Phase 1 of 700 kilometers that comes in multiple sections. Section 1 is starting from Zero Point and up from Ahmadu Below Way to Lekki Deep Seaport enough is 47.47 kilometers.
“We have Section 2 that we have already procured. It has been approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) waiting to be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and that is about 55 kilometers, running from Lekki Deep Seaport going into the border between Ogun and Ondo States.
“We are finalising the design of Section 3 which is from the end of the project in Calabar, rolling towards Akwa Ibom that is about 65 kilometers.
“So, multiple sections will also come up as we go along but each of these sections, like Section 1 is 36-month duration but it’s going to run independent of Section 2.
“Section 2 is going to run independent of section 3, that is how the road is going to be
“And how long it’s to take, by God’s grace within eight years of this administration but the first phase we’re talking about should finish before 2027. 36 months is projected but Hightech is going to complete it before then.”
The Minister also clarified the project was not envisaged by the Federal government under the Public Private Partnership (PPP), but has always been Engineering Procurement Construction plus Finance (EPCF) where the Federal government is required to pay a counterpart fund for the execution of the project
He said the Coastal highway was not the first under such arrangement citing the Abuja-Makurdi highway and the Markurdi to Night mile, Enugu road handled by China Harbour where the Federal government paid 15% counterpart fund for the completion of the projects.
He said the Coastal project is an EPC plus F project by Hitech which was initiated by the President when he was the Lagos State governor is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
He said: “I also have to pay counterpart funding but I took my counterpart fund to build some sections of the road. So part of what we are committing on Sections 1,2 and 3 funded by the Federal government is still going to fall under the percentage counterpart funding of the Federal government when negotiation is completed”, he noted.
According to him, the only available design by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which the former Vice President relied on was erroneous as the adopted design for execution by Hightech is standard gauge.
He said the figures presented by the former Vice President were erroneous due to a lack of knowledge of the new design while he ran with the NDDC design for the entire 700km.
He said with the new design, including the Right of Way, modifications were made to meet the standard gauge superhighway carriage way specifications.
He said the initial design was four lanes of carriageways while the train track was not provided for.
He said: “The one we are constructing has 10 lanes, about 23 shoulders, a total of 59 meters of concrete pavement and 23 meters of flexible pavement among others.
“When you run the figures, you’ll find out that under the former VP’s calculation, it is given that 19.% per kilometer. Now divide it by the 22-kilometer stretch they are doing which is about 2.225 times a standard superhighwacarriagewayay which is 11.54
“Whereas what we are doing, if you divide it you will get 5.167. So, when you now diivide, using 1.067, you will get about N4b per kilometer. If you go back to what he (Atiku) has quoted, you will get about N8.something.
“So, using concrete which should be more expensive because of the kind of terrain we have and using flexible pavement which shouldn’t stand the coastal road, you’ll find out that our cost is N4b per kilometer, instead of the N8b he quoted.
“This is an upgraded version of the road with much improvement because what they had before was just a 60-millimeter binder cost and the 40-millimeter wearing costs which is far below the standard of the project of this nature.
“Even at that, when we compare the cost of a similar project, Boddo-Bonny five years ago was about 5.123b per kilometer done on flexible pavement.
“This one has multiple flyovers, multiple bridges among others, so it is the most economical”.
The Minister also revealed that the project would come at no job loss to the communities along the corridor.
He said the fears expressed by an investor Landmark that his tourist property would be demolished were not justified because the property was not affected.
Citing the law, he said the 250 meters to the shoreline belong to the government and that 50 meters have been provided which allowed the property and others to avoid demolition.
700km Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway Ready In Seven Years – Umahi
