President Bola Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate with the federal government before approving infrastructure projects, aiming to eliminate delays and align development with national priorities.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 120-km Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road in Lagos, Tinubu noted that 60% of 200 major federal projects, including roads and bridges, face delays due to unaligned state approvals, costing ₦500 billion in litigation since 2020. He instructed the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Surveyor General to enforce 90% compliance with federal guidelines, particularly for strategic projects like the 750-km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the 1,000-km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, valued at $20 billion combined.
Tinubu emphasized that illegal constructions on federal corridors, such as 30% of Lagos’s unapproved coastal reclamations, would be demolished without compensation, citing a 10-km dredging ban around 500 bridges. Kaduna Governor Uba Sani, representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, committed to 80% cooperation, noting that 50% increased state revenues from 2023’s subsidy removal enabled ₦1 trillion in state-led infrastructure.
The Lekki road, built by Dangote Industries and Hitech Construction for ₦50 billion via tax credits, supports 10,000 daily truck movements, saving ₦1 billion monthly in logistics costs. Critics, comprising 20% of stakeholders, warn of reduced state autonomy, while 70% of Lagos businesses praise the 40% cost efficiencies. Tinubu’s $10 billion 2025 infrastructure plan targets 5,000 km of new roads by 2027, but 34% inflation and 30% land disputes pose challenges. The policy requires 200 state-federal agreements, creating 1,000 jobs per project, with 95% completion targeted by 2028.