The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved $100 million in funding to support the construction of a 47.7-kilometre segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, marking a significant milestone for Nigeria’s flagship road infrastructure project. The funding, announced during the bank’s 92nd Ordinary Session held on June 30, 2025, is intended to bolster Section 1, Phase 1 of the project, which runs from Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos and is being executed by Hitech Construction Company Limited.
This stretch of the coastal highway is part of a broader 700-kilometre initiative aimed at connecting key southern Nigerian states and boosting access to seaports, agro-industrial zones, and regional trade corridors. According to EBID, the project will link nine states, foster seamless movement of goods and services, and contribute to the development of a regional value chain that supports coastal communities. The bank emphasized that the investment aligns with its broader mission to promote sustainable infrastructure and regional integration across West Africa.
The Lagos-Calabar project is a centerpiece of the Nigerian government’s infrastructural transformation plan. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, recently revealed that over ₦3 trillion in contracts had been awarded for various sections of the highway, including ₦1.068 trillion for Section I (Lagos), ₦1.6 trillion for Section II (linking swampy terrain and flyovers to the Dangote Refinery), and ₦1.33 trillion for Sections III A and III B (Akwa Ibom and Cross River). President Bola Tinubu commissioned the first completed segment of the road in May 2025, signaling the project’s steady momentum.
Beyond Nigeria, EBID also approved several key investments across West Africa during the session. These include €50 million for six technical and vocational education centres in Togo, €28.9 million for modernizing agricultural schools in Guinea, €95.16 million for three hydroelectric micro-power stations, and $25 million to support clinker imports for cement production in Côte d’Ivoire. These projects are aligned with global development benchmarks, including SDGs 4, 7, and 9, and have pushed EBID’s total regional commitments beyond $5 billion.
Despite the significance of the highway project, efforts to obtain official comment from the Minister of Works were unsuccessful as his media aide, Orji Uchenna, did not respond to inquiries. Nonetheless, the EBID funding is seen as a crucial step toward meeting the 2028 completion target for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which promises to reshape Nigeria’s transportation and economic landscape.
