Hails Progress on Sokoto-Badagry Road Project.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has absolved the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway of blame for recent flooding in parts of Lagos, attributing the incidents instead to poor urban drainage, blocked waterways and indiscriminate waste disposal.
Umahi spoke on Sunday during an inspection of Section 3 of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway in Agbara, alongside the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Rep. Akin Alabi.
The Minister said President Bola Tinubu directed a technical assessment of the coastal highway corridor and adjoining communities to address public concerns and provide engineering solutions.
“We will evaluate the Coastal Highway and its surroundings not because the road is causing flooding but because the President has directed that we technically assess the situation,” Umahi said.
He argued that blaming the highway ignores decades-long drainage problems in Lagos.
“Ask whether there were legal drainage channels from surrounding communities into the ocean. Lagos State law does not permit surface drains or culverts to discharge directly into the ocean. So it is wrong to conclude that the Coastal Highway caused the flooding,” he stated.
Umahi who said preliminary findings show that parts of Lagos’ flood management master plan are yet to be fully implemented stating that blocked drains, illegal buildings worsening floods in the state.
“We found that some designated drainage outlets have not been developed. You can also see the volume of refuse blocking drainage channels and people building on waterways. This country belongs to all of us, and everyone has a responsibility to protect public infrastructure,” he said.
He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Works will work with the Lagos State Government to evaluate existing drainage infrastructure around the highway and recommend engineering interventions where necessary.
The Minister who defended President Tinubu’s Road Agenda, pushed back against critics of the administration’s infrastructure programme, listing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Benin-Asaba corridor and projects in Plateau and Borno as evidence of delivery.
“When people reduce governance to comedy and ignore the work being done across the country, it is unfortunate. These projects are visible for Nigerians to see,” he said.
Umahi also warned contractors against poor delivery: “The ministry must reset. Contractors who collect public funds without delivering quality work will continue to face sanctions.”
He commended HITECH Construction Company for maintaining uniform standards across federal projects, from Sokoto to Akwa Ibom.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo commended the President for being a visionary and transformative leader that listens to the yearnings and aspirations of the people saying various road infrastructural developments are underway in all the six geo-political zones across the country.
According to him “construction on the 1,068-kilometre Badagry-Sokoto Highway is progressing across six sections, with significant work already completed in parts of the route”.
Goronyo also said the project would boost commerce, expand agriculture, create jobs, reduce hunger and stimulate economic development across communities.
He commended the Minister of Works for his leadership and commitment to delivering the road project under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Goronyo dismissed criticisms over the pace of project awards, explaining that approvals and procurement processes are being carried out in phases, with multiple contractors already working on sections of the highway.
He expressed confidence that the concrete highway, backed by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, is being built to last for decades and will provide lasting infrastructure for the country.
Giving the Project Update on Sokoto-Badagry Highway, officials of HITECH said Section 3 of the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway the 162.35km stretch between Lagos and Ogun is progressing steadily.
About 25km of continuously reinforced concrete pavement has been completed on one carriageway, with 9.4km on the other. Earthworks have reached 81km, while vegetation clearance covers 145km.
Despite difficult terrain, the contractor said the project is on course for completion ahead of its 36-month timeline and to international standards.
Rep. Akin Alabi praised the Ministry for involving the National Assembly from planning to execution, saying it has improved transparency and oversight of the President Tinubu’s administration renewed hope agenda’s infrastructure drive.
Senator Onyesoh pledged continued budgetary and legislative support, noting that road infrastructure creates jobs and trade opportunities even amid economic hardship.
“The government may not directly feed the people, but it creates the enabling environment for economic activities to thrive,” he said.
The inspection is part of a nationwide assessment of President Tinubu’s “legacy road projects” aimed at improving connectivity and stimulating growth.
