NEWS ANALYSIS: Infrastructure development: New dawn for Lagos under Tinubu administration

NEWS ANALYSIS: Infrastructure development: New dawn for Lagos under Tinubu administration

By Lydia Chigozie-Ngwakwe,

The past two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration recorded robust interventions in the rehabilitation of ageing and ailing federal bridges and roads in Lagos State.

The interventions, driven by the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, are focused on repairing key bridges, improving roads, and constructing more to make life easier and safer for millions of people living and moving around Lagos.

Work is ongoing on the Third Mainland Bridge, where major repairs have been done and street lights and closed-circuit television cameras installed to monitor traffic and improve safety and security.

The 11.8km-long Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three road bridges crossing Lagos Lagoon.

It connects the commercial district of Lagos Island to the mainland section of the city.  The repair is a relief to Lagos residents.

The Tinubu administration also intervened in the repair of the Independence Bridge after a part of it collapsed.

The administration is also fixing Eko, Carter and Cowry bridges to strengthen their structures and remove illegal settlements under them.

Recently, Umahi ordered the demolition of illegal structures beneath the Iddo Bridge to pave way for its rebuilding. A contract was signed in 2024 for the rebuilding of the bridge.

The 550m Iddo Bridge has, over the years, become unsafe due to activities inside the illegal structures, including shops and shanties.

According to the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, evaluation of the bridge revealed defects in some spans.

Kesha said in February that it would take about six months for the bridge’s three major defective spans to be repaired since the repairs would involve breaking down the spans and recasting them.

The Tinubu administration, under its Renewed Hope Agenda,  has also done much in reconstructing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, making transport easy in the ever-busy expressway.

In October, 2024, the Tinubu administration unveiled the dualisation of the 1,068km Badagry-Sokoto Highway.

The road, which starts from Illela Town in Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State, is expected to pass through six states – Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun before terminating at the ancient town of Badagry in Lagos State.

At the flag-off ceremony, Tinubu, who was represented by the Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu, described the project as very dear to his heart.

Tinubu is set to inaugurate a section of his administration’s landmark project, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

According to Umahi, Tinubu will inaugurate a 30km stretch of the highway – over 70 per cent completed portion of Section One of the coastal highway – on May 31.

On the corridor, there are some lands that have been acquired for tourism, industries, factories and housing estates.

“These are the road architecture that you are going to receive on this highway,’’ Umahi said during an inspection tour of the highway project.

Analysts are convinced that these bridge and road projects will significantly transform Nigeria by improving safety and security, reducing travel time and traffic congestion, boosting commerce and the general economy, and creating jobs.

Although they expressed concerns about the associated challenges, such as traffic nightmares during road reconstructions and loss of means of livelihood by those displaced under bridges and right-of-way of roads, the analysts strongly believe that the renewed focus on infrastructure development is a step in the right direction.

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According to them, the Tinubu administration has demonstrated commitment to rebuilding both road infrastructure and public trust.

“It is not just about concrete and steel. It is about restoring confidence, improving lives and giving Nigerians real, lasting hope,’’ a journalist, Mrs Nkechi Ugwa, says.

Mrs Nimot Muili, Chairman of the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Ikeja Branch, also believes the projects will significantly boost economic growth by making trade, commerce and investment easier, thereby improving lives.

She is particularly delighted that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project offers valuable learning opportunities for engineers at all levels and showcases excellent teamwork among professionals.

“Nigerian engineers are doing very well, and we can do better,” she says.

On the choice of materials for the constructions, Mr Kunle Awobodu, a former President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, is satisfied with the use of concrete for the coastal highway construction.

He explains that concrete is more durable than asphalt, especially in areas where water poses a threat.

“Water is a major threat to asphalt roads while concrete is more resistant to its damaging effects,” he argues, adding that both require a strong base.

Mr Olumide Adewebi, the immediate past Vice-President International of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, supports the use of concrete in constructing highways, noting its suitability for roads with heavy traffic.

According to him, concrete will better withstand daily wear and tear from numerous vehicles and prevent potholes.

Adewebi praises Umahi for effective inspection of the projects, saying that the minister’s background as a seasoned engineer has a positive impact on the implementation of the projects.

At a recent stakeholder engagement on the coastal highway project, managers of major economic hubs, including the Lekki Free Zone and Lagos Free Zone, showed support for the project, praising the Federal Government for its swift response to their concerns about it.

They are optimistic that the road infrastructure will attract investments and ensure smooth movement of goods in and out of the zones.

During an inspection tour of the Shoreline Protection project at Marina and Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the House of Representatives Committee on Works gave the projects a pass mark.

The Chairman of the committee, Mr Akin Alabi, expressed satisfaction with both projects.

According to Alabi, the Shoreline Protection project is a crucial intervention to safeguard vital assets such as the Lagos Blue Line Rail and Outer Marina Road.

He is also delighted at the quality and pace of work on the coastal highway.

Analysts urge the Tinubu administration to intensify efforts in road infrastructure development in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria to rebuild public trust and renew the hope of Nigerians.  (NANFeature)