Clark: N1.067tn Lagos -Calabar Coastal Road Project, New Dawn In Nigeria's Infrastructural Development
Elder statesman and foremost leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has described the N1.06trn Lagos -Calabar Coastal Road as a landmark project, which if completed will change the landscape of infrastructural development in Nigeria.
Clark, gave the assertion in an open letter he wrote to President Bola Tinubu, copies of which were made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday.
The septuagenarian said it was particularly pleasing to note that the project was being executed as a Public Private Partnership (PPP).
He said, "This means that a substantial portion of the funding, which is over N1trillion, will be coming from the private sector.
"I assure you that we will not only endorse this project but will fully extend our support to ensure its completion especially at the areas of the Niger Delta where it will pass through."
Like Oliver Twist, he said, "The Niger Delta people are seriously requesting Mr. President to give priority to the very important project which will no doubt cater for the security and welfare of our people having regards to the role of the the region in supporting the economy of the entire country."
Clark said the Coastal Road, therefore, "could not be a substitution to our immediate requirement."
He said, "It is estimated that the portion being constructed by the contractor from the Lagos end, may take at least two years to complete before moving to the second phase.
"I, however, want to remind Your
Excellency that this new coastal road from Lagos to Calabar, as welcome as it is, raises issues as to why the related coastal railway running through the same axis has been abandoned.
"This made the headlines recently and we applauded it as it will open up all the communities in the West to East axis.
"That West-East Coastal Rail line which was supposed to have a length of 1,402 kilometres at the time when it was conceived, had a budget of $11.17 billion and was even passed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in 2021 under President Muhammadu Buhari.
"I am sure Mr. President not only me but many Nigerians will like to know what has happened to this very important coastal rail line project.
"This is especially as we know that other rail projects including to neighbouring Niger Republic are going on very well as recently reported by the Minister of Transportation.
"I have also looked into the internet and the available information there about Lagos-Calabar Railway project is shown below.
“Lagos-Calabar Railway also known as West-East Coastal Rail Line is a 1,400 kilometres standardgauge coastal railway from Lagos to Calabar. Connecting Lagos State in South-west to the Southern Coastal cities in the South. "
Going down memory lane, Clark said the Lagos-Calabar Railway Line Project was conceived by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 with approval from the Federal Executive Council but that the project never sees the light of the day.
He said, "In February 2016, the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari agreed with the Export-Import (Exim) Bank of China to finance part of the project.
"In April 2017, the project plans were approved and announced by the Federal Government; however, by September of the same year, the Exim Bank of China communicated its inability to fund the Lagos-Calabar rail project.
"In March 2021, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, insinuated plans (loan) for alternate funding options, leading to the Federal Government entering into a counterpart funding with Standard Chartered Bank for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Rail with US$11bn out of the US$14.4bn needed for the implementation of the project.