By Innocent Orok
The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has disclosed on Sunday that he had received a directive from the President for the prompt design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway.
Umahi spoke following his examination of the Section one, phase one, of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and its realignment in Lagos. He also said he is presenting Enugu- Abakiliki- Ogoja, going to Cameroun route to the Federal Executive Council.
He said, “I’m happy that Mr President has also directed me to start the immediate design of the Sokoto-Badagry Coastal Highway.This one is a spur of the Coastal highway, and that one is 1000 kilometres.
“We’ve started the design and I’m very sure that as soon as Federal Executive Council approves it, we will be starting at Sokoto side, which is the zero point.
“We also have another spur which is going to go from Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja going to Cameroon.So we have that spur and it’s about 361 kilometres, going through Otukpo to Benue to Nasarawa and ends up at Apo in Abuja.
“We are also going to be presenting it to Mr President, and when this is done, then the coastal routes like we promised will go to circle the entire country,”
After its construction finishes, the coastal road will link the regions of Nigeria from the South-West to the South-South, North-East, North-West, and North-Central, as mentioned by the Minister.