UDC urges FG to review Lagos-Calabar Highway route through Ondo

The Ugbo Development Congress (UDC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently review the reported realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway away from the original coastal corridor through the Ilaje axis of Ondo State.

The congress urged the Federal Ministry of Works, the National Assembly and the Ondo State Government to ensure an independent technical assessment of the original and proposed alternative routes before the former is permanently abandoned.

In a statement, the UDC said it supported the coastal highway project but expressed concern that the reported realignment towards the Ovia/Gelegele axis of Edo State could leave coastal communities in Ondo State disconnected from the infrastructure intended to stimulate economic development.

According to the congress, the original concept for the Ondo section envisaged a route through coastal communities along the Mahin-Ugbo axis towards the Delta corridor.

It, however, said information available to it suggested that the route being pursued from the Oke-Upare/Oke-Ipare axis had shifted substantially inland towards Edo State.

The UDC acknowledged explanations attributed to the Federal Ministry of Works that the original coastal alignment faced engineering challenges, including deep weak soils and peat, major water crossings and the high construction costs associated with them.

It also noted that the Minister of Works had said the revised alignment was intended to minimise major water crossings and improve the project’s feasibility.

The congress, however, argued that such challenges should be subjected to a transparent comparison of the engineering, environmental and economic implications of both routes.

“Difficult terrain is an engineering challenge—not, without a transparent comparative assessment, a sufficient reason to abandon an entire economic corridor,” it said.

The organisation called for the publication of the original and revised alignments, including maps and coordinates, as well as the geotechnical and geological findings informing the reported decision.

It also requested an independent comparative assessment covering construction costs per kilometre, total project costs, maintenance and life-cycle costs, bridge requirements, water crossings, land acquisition and environmental impact.

The UDC further called for an assessment of the availability of suitable sand and filling materials for the original coastal route and the feasibility of using modern ground-improvement technologies to address weak soils.

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It listed preloading, prefabricated vertical drains, geotextiles, soil stabilisation, deep soil mixing, piling and reinforced embankments among the engineering options it said should be considered.

On the economic implications, the congress said retaining a route close to the Ilaje coastal communities could improve access to fisheries, aquaculture, oil and gas services, marine transportation, tourism, manufacturing and other investment opportunities.

It argued that a highway serving the communities could open up new markets, generate employment and attract private-sector investment, while a route that bypassed them could limit their access to the project’s anticipated benefits.

“The issue is not merely about the shortest road between two points. It is about where Nigeria wants its next generation of economic growth to occur,” the statement added.

The congress also called for meaningful consultation with affected Ilaje communities and their representatives, alongside a comprehensive environmental and socioeconomic assessment of both routes.

It said it had received estimates suggesting significant differences in construction costs per kilometre between the original and alternative corridors but stressed that the figures had not been independently verified.

The UDC consequently challenged the relevant authorities to publish official cost comparisons to enable Nigerians to assess which route would be more economical to construct and maintain and deliver greater long-term economic benefits.

It called on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Works, the National Assembly, the Ondo State Government, relevant engineering and environmental authorities and HITECH Construction Company to support an independent review of the alignment.

The congress maintained that the original Ilaje corridor should be retained or restored if the assessment established that it was technically feasible, economically justified and environmentally manageable.

“Our position is neither political nor sectional. It is developmental, technical and economic,” the statement said, adding that the highway should be completed in a manner that protects public funds and ensures that Ondo State’s coastal communities, particularly the oil-bearing Ugboland, benefit from the project.

The UDC said the original coastal corridor should not be permanently abandoned until credible engineering and economic evidence demonstrated that no better and more beneficial alternative existed.