Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Why Is the Federal Government Threatening to Shut It?

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was designed as a major infrastructure project linking communities along Nigeria’s coastline.

But today, the conversation has shifted from construction progress to safety.

The Federal Government has given motorists and other road users on the Lagos section of the highway two weeks to comply with safety regulations, warning that the route could be shut if conditions do not improve.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, cited speeding, illegal parking by trucks and articulated vehicles, illegal U-turns, motorcycles, tricycles and roadside trading among the problems authorities are trying to address. He said motorists have been driving at speeds as high as 120km/h, despite a posted 30km/h speed limit in construction areas.

There is a reason authorities are particularly concerned. Construction is still ongoing, including work on major bridges. The Lagos section alone covers roughly 103 kilometres, divided into two sections of about 47.5km and 56km, with 20 major bridges planned across the two sections.

The government has also raised concerns about vandalism and damage to infrastructure along the route. Separately, there have been disputes and public questions around aspects of the highway’s alignment and implementation.

The highway has also attracted international financing support. The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit announced a $626 million insured amount in support of financing for Phase II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

That makes the current safety issue bigger than a traffic problem.

The question is how Nigeria protects a major infrastructure investment while construction continues — and how quickly the highway can move from a partially completed construction corridor into the safer, fully functioning transport route it is intended to become.