The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, has urged the federal government to engage multiple contractors for the Calabar-Lagos highway project to ensure its swift completion.

During a media conference, the Obong of Calabar Executive Forum (OCEF), the advisory and executive arm of the Palace of the Obong, emphasized the importance of starting the construction of the highway from both the Calabar and Lagos ends simultaneously. This approach, they argue, would significantly reduce the project delivery time and mitigate risks associated with inflation.

The forum advised that the federal government should employ numerous engineers and competent road construction contractors for this vital infrastructure project. “If the project commences from the Lagos and Calabar axis simultaneously and is awarded to several competent contractors, with close supervision and monitoring by the Minister of Works and his team, the project would be delivered during the life of the Tinubu administration,” they stated.

They lauded the Tinubu administration for embarking on what they described as the largest-ever infrastructure development in Nigeria. According to Gershom Henshaw, MFR, Chairman of the OCEF, the coastal highway is a strategic national infrastructure that will transform the economic landscape of the nine states it will traverse.

The forum also called on the government to complete the Adiabo Bridge, initiated by the late General Sani Abacha’s administration, which is now over 70% complete. This bridge is crucial for connecting the state to Akwa Ibom State.

Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of completing the East-West road, noting its significant impact on the South-South and Southeastern states.