President Bola Tinubu has approved a 100km  stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to pass through Edo.

Works minister David Umahi announced this in a statement on Friday.

Mr Umahi made the announcement during the Edo Independence Day gala night, held at the state villa in Benin City.

Mr Umahi stated that Edo was not part of the original alignment for the project, which was conceived about 47 years ago by Tinubu, but that the president directed its inclusion.

“The president called me and said this project must pass through Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. That is why we are here. Your Excellency, the president has given you 100km of the two lanes of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” Mr Umahi said.

The minister praised the government and people of Edo for their support of the Tinubu administration.

He also commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for agreeing to intervene in some critical sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri highway, which he described as a death trap for motorists.

Mr Umahi also applauded the quality of work done by the contractor, CBC, and directed the Federal Controller of Works in Edo to provide him with daily updates on progress at the site.

Mr Okpebholo thanked the president for including Edo in the coastal highway project and for the ongoing improvements on federal roads in Edo. He described the gesture as proof of Tinubu’s love for the people of Edo and urged residents to support the president’s re-election in 2027.

Mr. Okpebholo stated that his administration was committed to transforming the state’s infrastructure. He recalled his recent visit to the Benin-Sapele-Warri road, where he saw the suffering of road users.

“If I do my part and you do your part, no one will criticise our president. For us to earn more votes, we need to do something about this place, whether it’s the federal government or the Edo government,” the governor said.

(NAN)