President Bola Tinubu on Saturday issued a stern warning to property developers and landowners against building on federal infrastructure corridors without proper authorisation, emphasising the irreversible consequences of such actions and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to enforcing urban planning regulations.
The President spoke at the official commissioning of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The landmark project, which will eventually span 750km, passes through Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States, respectively. The highway is designed as a six-lane carriageway within a 60-meter corridor.
Tinubu stressed that the era of indiscriminate development and encroachment on public infrastructure is over.
According to Tinubu, the administration will not be disposed to paying compensation for buildings or developments that violate federal right-of-way regulations, saying, “if you build illegally, you bear the consequences.”
He urged developers, traditional leaders, and local authorities to respect existing urban development laws, noting that illegal construction not only threatens the integrity of national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.
He urged them and other local authorities, to respect existing urban development laws, noting that illegal construction not only threatens the integrity of national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.
Tinubu also called on Nigerians to treat public infrastructure as a shared national asset, emphasising that roads, bridges, and highways must be preserved and maintained through collective responsibility.
“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.”
He appealed to communities along the coastal highway corridor to guard the infrastructure from vandalism, illegal dumping, and unauthorized modifications.
He also emphasised the importance of government collaboration with professional bodies, civil society, and local councils to enforce maintenance culture across the country.
Reflecting on the early challenges his administration faced in initiating the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, President Tinubu recalled how critics dismissed the project as a venture that was not realisable.
He said, “many critics dismissed it as impossible, citing the unpredictable and destructive nature of the Atlantic Ocean along the Lekki-Epe-Victoria Island axis.
“We were told it couldn’t be done. Some said the Atlantic would devour us. But we stood firm. We rejected fear, and we embraced science, engineering, and courage.”
He said that through strategic coastal defenses and the use of reinforced concrete pavement technology, his administration prevented 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 said the completed phase now stands as a testament to visionary leadership, resilience, and the strength of Nigerian engineering, protecting key economic and residential zones while unlocking massive economic potential along the southern corridor.
As the project continues toward completion, Tinubu reiterated that every Nigerian, whether developer, engineer, community member, or public servant, has a stake in its success.
“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.”
At the high-profile ceremony, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged serving governors, particularly those nearing the end of their terms, to be intentional and patriotic in their succession planning.
Speaking shortly after Tinubu, Senator Akpabio commended the President’s vision and execution, describing him as a leader blessed with both “sight and vision.”
“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,” Akpabio said to a laud applauses.
In a reflective tone, the Senate President recalled a story he once shared at the APC National Convention, the story of a blind girl, Hellen Keller, who was the first to use braille to earn a First Class degree at Radcliffe College, Harvard University.
“When asked what could be worse than being blind, she replied: ‘to have sight but no vision.’ But in you, Mr President, we have a leader who possesses both.”
Turning to serving state governors, particularly those in their final terms, Akpabio and cautioned:
“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 particularly warned them 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’s remarks come at a time when conversations around succession planning are gaining momentum in several states. His message was seen as both a call for deeper political responsibility and a challenge to uphold national interest over personal sentiment.
Senator Akpabio, a former governor himself, emphasized that the true measure of a leader’s legacy lies in the caliber 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.”
The President of the Senate reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for the President’s infrastructure agenda and laudes the coastal highway project as a “generational gift” to Nigeria’s economic and security future.
Earlier in his speech, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, praised President Tinubu for the work he’s doing across the country and for insisting that Nigerian youth should be made to learn the new technology, saying that after God, his loyalty would be to Tinubu.
He said the real thing is the reinforced concrete pavement, which, according to him, can last between 50 and 100 years.
Senator Umahi also requested President Tinubu to direct Dangote and BUA cement companies to remit two percent of their sales to the Ministry as a reward for helping them to increase their sales.
He said, “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.”
The Minister also disclosed that N18bn has so far been paid as compensation for Section One of the project.
