The Federal Ministry Of Works in Nigeria has come out in defence of its decision to award the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to the local Hitech Construction Company as an engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) plus financing contract.

Construction of the 10-lane super highway, which will traverse nine states, got underway last month.

In a rejection of recent criticism of the project shared on its website, the ministry writes that trending social media posts are “no doubt baseless thoughts of critics who are either bereft of the knowledge of the workings of the project initiative or they deliberately want to sacrifice the modest developmental efforts of Mr President at the altar of their political ambitions.”

“No patriotic Nigerian should discourage this kind of project where funding is substantially from the contractor. There is no doubt that Mr President is aggressively tackling the backlogs of uncompleted road projects,” it adds.

The project has encountered a storm of criticism, which has centred on the lack of competitive bidding, possible conflicts of interest and opaqueness about the cost. Property owners along the route have also been protesting against their demolition notices.

The coastal highway is being built using reinforced concrete and is expected to take eight years to complete.

There has been a lack of clarity over the exact cost of the project with ministry officials most recently saying it works out at Naira 4.3 billion (US$3.5 million) per kilometre and as an EPC-plus financing project, the government will be providing counterpart funding of 15-30%. The road will be tolled once operational.

The communique from the ministry did not take the opportunity to clarify the cost of the project but emphasised the importance of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to the economy, stating that it will foster growth and attract foreign direct investment into the country, while also spurring industrialisation because of its north-south connectivity.

“The road is going to be the biggest super highway in Africa in terms of the structure and solidity as well as utility value, having 10 lanes with a rail track designed for concrete technology, covering 700km. It is going to attract foreign direct investment to Nigeria, and it is going to trigger economic development. It is going to develop the potential of our coastal businesses, especially the local economic corridors, and boost tourism and marine businesses,” the ministry wrote.

Those Criticizing the Ongoing Lagos- Calabar Coastal Highway Project Being Done by The Renewed Hope Administration Of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Either Have Little Knowledge of the Concept of EPC+F On Project Financing Or Are Deliberately