FG Reaffirms Commitment to Lagos–Abidjan Mega Highway, Flags Design Concerns
The Federal Government has reiterated its firm commitment to delivering the 1,028-kilometre Lagos–Abidjan Corridor, a landmark regional highway poised to boost trade and strengthen connectivity across West Africa, even as it raised concerns over key design and structural issues.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during a high-level meeting with delegations from the ECOWAS Commission and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The meeting, held at the minister’s office in Mabutshi, focused on progress updates as well as unresolved technical and financing matters affecting the multi-country project.
The Lagos–Abidjan Corridor is designed to link Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, forming a critical economic artery along the West African coast.
Speaking at the session, Umahi conveyed the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, underscoring infrastructure as a cornerstone of the administration’s development agenda.
“I bring greetings from His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, who is fully committed to infrastructural development in Nigeria,” he said.
The minister explained that the corridor will mirror the ambition and scale of Nigeria’s ongoing Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, featuring reinforced concrete pavement, dual carriageways with three lanes each, and modern engineering standards designed for durability.
Highlighting ongoing infrastructure efforts, Umahi linked the regional project to a broader national road network expansion. He disclosed that significant sections of the Sokoto–Badagry route are already underway.
“At the end of the corridor, which will connect with the Lagos–Abidjan route at Badagry, we have the Badagry section, one hundred and sixty-two kilometers, already awarded and ongoing,” he said. “We are also going to the Federal Executive Council for the Uyo section, one hundred and eighty kilometers, for award this week.”
He stressed that the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor forms part of a wider system of interconnected highways, including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and other legacy projects spanning the country’s six geopolitical zones.
“This project will drive trade across West Africa and the African coast,” Umahi stated.
Providing updates on the coastal highway, the minister noted: “Section one, forty-seven point four seven kilometers in Lagos, is completed and will be commissioned in May. Section two, fifty-five kilometers, will reach the Ogun boundary and is expected to be completed by December.”
He added that work is progressing in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, with additional segments awaiting Federal Executive Council approval.
Beyond this, Umahi outlined plans for additional legacy corridors linking Lagos to Abuja through Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa States, as well as another extending from Abuja into the North-Central and North-East regions.
“These projects represent a major transformation not just for Nigeria but for the wider West African region,” he said.
The minister also cited ongoing rehabilitation of key national highways, including Abuja–Kano, Sokoto–Zamfara–Kaduna–Katsina, Enugu–Onitsha, and the East–West Road, noting that many projects are expected to be completed within the year.
According to him, the government is prioritizing long-term durability through reinforced concrete technology.
“President Bola Tinubu is delivering durable infrastructure designed to last over one hundred years,” he said. “His approach to economic reform, including subsidy removal and currency adjustments is long-term national planning, even if not fully understood by the public.”
However, Umahi raised concerns about aspects of the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor design, particularly the distribution of project length among participating countries and certain technical elements.
“On the engineering side, I will be direct. There are unresolved issues on the Lagos–Abidjan corridor,” he stated. “The distribution of corridor length across countries is unequal and can only be resolved at the level of heads of state.”
He disclosed that Nigeria’s stretch of the corridor is about 79.5 kilometres but will be built to higher specifications than originally proposed.
“I am executing mine with reinforced concrete and three lanes, not the two-lane ECOWAS design. I have also rejected aspects of the ECOWAS design due to lack of consultation and impractical elements,” he said.
Umahi further revealed that Nigeria is developing an independent design framework tailored to local realities, expected within two weeks.
“We are developing our own design… It will account for existing infrastructure, obstacles along the corridor, and practical implementation realities,” he explained.
He maintained that key decisions on funding must be taken at the highest political level before the project advances.
“Once the design is finalized and approved by member states, the funding model must be agreed by heads of state… Until that is resolved, moving into procurement and financing is premature. That is my position,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the project, announcing plans to host further engagements with ECOWAS and technical teams.
“We remain committed to this project because it will connect Nigeria’s infrastructure to neighboring countries and deliver mutual benefits,” he said.
Earlier, ECOWAS Director of Transport, Chris Appiah, said the visit was part of ongoing consultations with member states.
“Honorable Minister… we have had several engagements with your project focal team and your technical consultants on the Nigeria section of the highway,” he said. “We have gone through the designs, taken comments, and provided responses.”
He added that similar consultations had taken place with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, while engagement with Benin would follow its recent elections.
“We are here today to report to you as the Chair of the Steering Committee… and to take any final issues on the technical side,” Appiah said.
On financing, the AfDB delegation, led by Salawou Mike Moukaila, described the corridor as a priority project for the bank.
“As you tasked the bank to mobilize financing for the corridor, we have taken this very seriously,” Moukaila said. “Our senior management, including the president of the bank, has made this project a priority because it will enhance regional integration.”
He revealed that the bank is conducting an “identification mission” across 25 countries to develop a financing framework and initiate the project’s first phase.
“There is strong interest from co-financiers within and outside Africa,” he noted. “They want to see the bank take the lead in financing and mobilizing its instruments.”
Moukaila emphasized Nigeria’s strategic importance to the corridor’s success.
“The Nigerian section is strategically important because a significant portion of trade originates from Nigeria along this corridor,” he said.
He commended the Federal Government’s infrastructure drive, describing the Lagos–Abidjan Corridor as “a game changer,” and invited the minister to present Nigeria’s experience at the upcoming Africa Transport Forum in Abidjan.
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