Road to the east: the coastal highway’s next 55km comes into view
Section One of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is built. Works Minister David Umahi says Section Two is on course for mid-November, and that surveying is underway further east.
Some infrastructure projects are measured in budgets. This one is being measured in kilometres. The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the administration’s signature projects, and according to the federal government, it is making steady progress.
Minister of Works David Umahi says Section One, the 47.47km stretch in Lagos, has been constructed. Section Two, a 55km stretch, is progressing towards completion by mid-November 2026.
Already carrying traffic
Drivers have already used part of the road. The first 30km was opened to traffic on 12 December 2025. The Federal Ministry of Works said at the time that it was a temporary opening of the completed stretch.
By the numbers
- 47.47km Section One, in Lagos: constructed
- 30km first stretch opened to traffic on 12 December 2025
- 55km Section Two: targeted for completion by mid-November 2026
- 4 states Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers: surveying underway
Still moving east
The minister has rejected suggestions that the project has been abandoned. He says surveying is underway along the Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers axis. That is the part of the corridor that will eventually take the highway east towards Calabar.
What the coast road could change
For young Nigerians in logistics, trade and the creative economy, a high-capacity coastal corridor could bring faster deliveries, new business opportunities along the route and easier movement between some of the country’s busiest cities. Those benefits depend on the next sections being finished.
For now, there are concrete milestones to watch. Section One is done, a 30km stretch is open, and Section Two is due in a few weeks. If the mid-November target holds, the highway’s next 55km will be ready before the year ends.
The President has made the case that big projects can be delivered. Inaugurating his campaign council on 14 October, he cited the Atlantic City project in Lagos as proof that ambitious goals can be met. The coastal highway will be judged by the same standard.
Sources
- Voice of Nigeria: Nigerian government reaffirms commitment to Lagos–Calabar highway completion
- Federal Ministry of Works: FG temporarily opens completed stretch of Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway to traffic
This story was compiled by Ripple Nigeria Staff from the public reports and official statements listed above. Figures described as claims are attributed to the people or organisations that made them.
