By Sunday Ameh
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway being constructed by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an eminent achievement with the potential to transform the socioeconomic fortunes of Nigeria’s coastal states.
Aiyedatiwa said the project would boost regional trade, tourism and transportation across the coastal corridor, noting that it would also stimulate economic development in the affected states.
The governor stated this in a press release issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Debo Akinbami.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a federal infrastructure project spanning about 700 to 750 kilometres, linking Lagos to Calabar through Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
According to Aiyedatiwa, President Tinubu’s wealth of experience and administrative competence have enabled his administration to record notable achievements in infrastructure, the economy, education and security.
He described the coastal highway as one of the administration’s most significant accomplishments.
“Of the many achievements of Mr. President, the coastal highway stands out. It is a masterstroke and an eminent achievement for President Tinubu, and it is going to make an economic boost for coastal states,” he said.
The governor expressed appreciation to the President for including Ondo State in the project, noting that about 40 kilometres of the highway pass through the state.
He argued that criticisms of the project were misplaced, insisting that its long-term socioeconomic benefits far outweigh concerns over its cost or alternative proposals.
“We have to consider the ultimate benefits of a project in the interest of the citizens and the overall socioeconomic impacts of such a project on the country, and not just the narrow narratives about cost or alternatives. The coastal highway is going to give an incremental boost to the country’s economy,” Aiyedatiwa stated.
Drawing a comparison with projects in Ondo State, the governor said the Akure Metropolitan Flyover was conceived as a strategic infrastructure aimed at improving traffic flow, enhancing safety and supporting the continued urban expansion of the state capital.
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