FG Spends ₦15 Billion on Waste Excavation and Design Changes for Lagos Coastal Highway

The Federal Government has confirmed that it spent ₦15 billion addressing waste excavation and road design modifications on the Lagos section of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this during a project inspection on Monday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He explained that engineers discovered a refuse dump, more than 50 years old, stretching two kilometres with a depth exceeding 10 metres, forcing a realignment of the road’s original design.

Umahi noted that properties along the corridor, including infrastructure at Landmark Beach, required alterations to the initial alignment. “When we started from Kilometre Zero, we encountered Landmark Beach infrastructure and a number of other properties along the way. We decided, as a responsible ministry, to vary the design of the project,” he said.

The discovery of the extensive landfill further complicated the work. “We also encountered a refuse dump that had been over 50 years old, with a depth of over 10 metres and spanning two kilometres. When we encountered it, we had to stop the work for more than four months,” Umahi stated. Tackling the challenge, he confirmed, cost the government ₦15 billion.

Contractor’s Confirmation

Dany Abboud, Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd., said major excavation and replacement works were carried out between Kilometres 3 and 9. The contractor replaced the waste material with sand to stabilise the foundation of the road. “The largest dump sites were at Kilometres 4 and 9, which required careful removal and replacement,” Abboud noted.

Broader Project Context

Earlier in June, Umahi revealed that the Federal Government had procured contracts worth over ₦3 trillion for sections of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway spanning Lagos, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States.

Section I, beginning in Lagos, was procured at ₦1.068 trillion, with 30% of the contract sum already disbursed. Section II, which includes flyovers and swampy terrain linking to the Dangote Refinery, was awarded at ₦1.6 trillion. Sections IIIA and IIIB, covering parts of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, were jointly procured at ₦1.33 trillion.

Outlook

Umahi directed that all project videos, drawings, and documentation be preserved to account for the additional works and costs incurred. The incident underscores the engineering and financial challenges of delivering large-scale infrastructure projects in densely populated and environmentally complex areas such as Lagos.