Lagos-Calabar highway: Section 2 compensation begins April 26

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, says payment of compensation for Section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will start on April 26, 2025.

He disclosed this at the stakeholders meeting held on Sunday at Eko Hotel, in Victoria Island, Lagos State.

He said, “On section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, verification should start tomorrow under the Federal Comptroller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, and the payment is going to start from the 26th of this month.”

The minister disclosed that N16bn has been paid to the contractors.

He said, “We have paid N16bn to the contractors, even though what was in our budget for the contractor was N8bn, but I had to talk to the president who consented, so we paid N16bn today.

“There are still one or two people contesting theirs and took us to court; we floored them the first time, and they have gone to the State High Court. There are about seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria defending us because we are doing the right thing. Apart from those people, we have paid every other person.”

The Federal Government had revealed that N15bn out of the N18bn meant for the first phase of compensation to owners of demolished properties along Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Highway has been disbursed.

The Director of Federal Highways, Bridges, and Design at the Federal Ministry of Works, Bede Obioha, said the quantum of compensation was more than N18bn.

He said, “For Section 1, 47.7km, the quantum of compensation already put together is in excess of N18 bn, and so far the contractor has managed to disburse over N15 bn.

“Section 2 is being put together, and as soon as all is done and necessary, we will now make the figure known as well. You will agree with me; we have been very transparent in all we are doing and engaging you as we get along.”

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, noted that 30km out of 70km of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Phase 1, Section 1, will be commissioned in May.

He said, “30km out of 70km of Channel Zero, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, is to be commissioned in May 2025.”