The Federal Ministry of Works has pledged to continue to address the high level of public interest and curiosity surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Mrs Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, made the assertion during a site visit of the construction project with the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) on Thursday in Lagos.
According to her, many people have been asking questions about the project’s scope, scale, and progress.
She said that the ministry, recognising this public interest, took the initiative to provide a platform for public engagement and information sharing, hence it organised the technical visit.
The visit is also a part of the continuous and professional development of engineers.
Kesha said: “We are here at the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, you will agree with me that it’s a mega project.
“It’s the talk of the town and everyone has been asking individual questions, when they see us on the road they will want to know if Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is four lanes, two lanes or 10 lanes.
“They will ask us what it is made up of and why is the money like that and what are they doing?.
“So, we decided to say, instead of answering individuals, let us come together as a society; the Nigerian Society of Engineers with our sister body, like the Institution of Civil Engineers.
“Seeing is believing, let’s see things for yourself. So, you know how your money is being spent. Hence we organise this technical visit and it’s part of the continuous and professional development of engineers.
“It is part of the mandate of the society of engineers to take engineers to development sites, sites of engineering concern, so that they can see and thereafter develop from there,’’ Kesha said.
The controller, who provided the engineers an update on the progress of the coastal highway project added that the progress was at a rapid pace with substantial work completed.
She told them that extensive sand filling had been carried out over a distance of 12 kilometers to stabilise the ground.
Kesha said that the construction of the road itself was underway, with the road being divided into two sections in certain areas to avoid disrupting existing buildings.
She commended the contractor, HITECH Construction Company, for the good job so far done, adding that the contractor had the necessary capacity and resources to ensure timely completion.
“This is about one of the best performing projects in the country at the moment. Like I said, the contractor has capacity, and the capacity is not in doubt, even by any layman or a blind person.
“If you go by the number of equipment that are assembled at Oniru, you will agree with me that they have capacity, and all the capacity has been deployed, and they work here day and night,’’ she stressed.
The Chairman, NSE Ikeja Branch, Mrs Nimot Muili, said that the project would offer valuable learning opportunities for engineers at all levels, from students to senior professionals.
She also said that it would boost economic growth by facilitating trade, commerce, and investment, and improve infrastructure, including roads, power, and transportation, leading to better living conditions and business opportunities.
Muili further said that the project showcased the importance of collaboration among engineers from different organisations to achieve significant infrastructure projects.
“We collaborated with Lagos branch, Nigeria Institute of Civil Engineer to come out as a formidable body, collaboration is key for any development and I’m really excited about what we’ve seen.
“The level of expertise is being deployed locally, working with other international organisation, developers, designers, as well as the Federal Ministry of works, and the level of professionalism being displayed by all involved is really commendable.
“That means, Nigeria engineers are doing very well, and we could do better,’’ she said.
Before visiting the coastal road, the group toured Eko Atlantic City, where they learned about land reclamation techniques from a representative of HITECH Company.
The aim of the tour was to provide engineers, including students and seasoned professionals, with valuable insights into modern engineering practices and infrastructure development.