President Bola Tinubu on Saturday warned property developers and landowners against unauthorised building on federal infrastructure corridors, stressing the irreversible consequences of such actions. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enforcing urban planning regulations during the official commissioning of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway.
The landmark superhighway project, which will eventually stretch 750 km across Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, is designed as a six-lane carriageway within a 60-metre corridor.
President Tinubu declared that the era of indiscriminate development and encroachment on public infrastructure is over. He warned, “If you build illegally, you bear the consequences.” He stressed that the government will not pay compensation for buildings or developments violating federal right-of-way regulations.
He urged developers, traditional leaders, and local authorities to respect existing urban development laws, emphasising that illegal construction not only threatens national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.
“These projects belong to all of us. They are not political trophies; they are lifelines for future generations. Every citizen has a role to play in keeping them safe, clean, and functional,” Tinubu said, appealing to communities along the coastal superhighway corridor to guard the infrastructure against vandalism, illegal dumping, and unauthorised modifications.
He also called for collaboration between government agencies, professional bodies, civil society, and local councils to enforce a culture of maintenance nationwide.
Reflecting on early scepticism about the project, Tinubu recalled how critics dismissed the superhighway as unfeasible due to the Atlantic Ocean’s destructive nature along the Lekki-Epe-Victoria Island axis.
“Many critics dismissed it as impossible… We were told it couldn’t be done. Some said the Atlantic would devour us. But we stood firm. We rejected fear and embraced science, engineering, and courage,” he said.
The President noted that through strategic coastal defences and reinforced concrete pavement technology, his administration averted what he described as a looming ecological disaster: “A tsunami-like disaster would have washed away Ikoyi and Victoria Island. But today, we have not only tamed the ocean, we’ve turned a threat into a treasure.”
Tinubu hailed the completed phase as a testament to visionary leadership and Nigerian engineering prowess, protecting key economic and residential zones while unlocking vast economic potential along the southern corridor.
“Let us build, not destroy. Let us protect, not abuse. And let us always remember: progress is not handed to us; we must shape it together,” he concluded.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, on his part, urged serving governors, especially those nearing the end of their terms, to be intentional and patriotic in succession planning.
Describing Tinubu as a leader blessed with both “sight and vision,” Akpabio said, “Mr. President, I can confirm once again that with this commissioning today, you have proven that whenever the National Assembly says you are doing well, we are always right.”
He recounted the story of Helen Keller, the blind scholar who said the worst fate is “to have sight but no vision,” praising Tinubu for possessing both.
Akpabio cautioned governors against handing power to unprepared successors, warning: “Do not hand over power to anyone who is not looking for it. Do not hand over power to someone who is not prepared. Governance is too important to be left in the hands of cronies or loyalists who lack capacity.”
He warned against choosing successors based on superficial loyalty or subservience: “Don’t go thinking, ‘this boy is very humble; he always kneels when he talks to me, and his wife rolls on the floor.’ That is not leadership. If you make that mistake, you will be handing power to someone who is not ready, and they will disappoint you. That is how betrayal begins.”
Akpabio emphasised that a leader’s legacy is measured by the quality of their successor: “Choose someone who shares your vision, your values, and your love for the people, not just someone who flatters you. Nigeria needs leaders who are ready to lead from day one.”
He reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for Tinubu’s infrastructure agenda, calling the coastal superhighway a “generational gift” to Nigeria’s economic and security future.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, praised President Tinubu for his nationwide infrastructure efforts and his insistence that Nigerian youths learn new technologies.
He highlighted the reinforced concrete pavement technology used in the superhighway, which he said can last between 50 and 100 years.
Umahi made a notable appeal to the President regarding cement companies Dangote and BUA: “I want to request, sir, my brother Zach is here; we have increased the sales of my brother Dangote and my brother BUA. Mr President, I want you to order that they should pay us just two percent of the increase in their sales because we are supporting them. So, my motion is that two percent of their additional sales should come to the Ministry of Works so that we’ll do more.”
He also disclosed that ₦18 billion has been paid as compensation for Section 1 of the project.
THE SUN
