The Federal Government has assured that the 25km access road linking Lekki Deep Seaport to Epe and Ijebu-Ode will be completed within the 21-month schedule, describing the project as highly viable and fully on course.
The assurance was given by Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, during an inspection of the road project in Lagos on Sunday. He expressed confidence in the capacity of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the contractor handling the project, citing its track record on major projects including the Lekki Deep Seaport, Keffi–Makurdi Super Highway, and the ongoing Makurdi–Enugu Road.
“The project spans 50km in total, including 25km of dual carriageways with six lanes and major bridges of about 3.5km and 2.4km. I strongly believe China Harbour will complete this job within 21 months,” Umahi said.
The minister noted that the Federal Government had already paid 30% of the project cost, while CHEC would source the remaining 70% under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Finance (EPC+F) arrangement, with loan repayment planned through tolling once the road is operational.
Umahi emphasized that feasibility studies confirmed the project’s viability, adding: “China Harbour will have the right of first refusal when government begins the operation and maintenance process. Traffic counts show this road can pay for itself.” He also highlighted the project’s strong financial and transparency safeguards, citing the involvement of the Debt Management Office, Ministry of Finance, and the Attorney-General.
On project challenges, Umahi said discussions were ongoing with CHEC, Dangote Group, and the Lagos State Government to redesign a section where a three-kilometre bridge might be replaced with backfilling across a non-flowing lagoon. He also addressed delays caused by a shrine along the corridor, asserting that it would not hinder progress.
Representatives of the project team provided technical updates. Mr. Oyeneye Damola, an engineer on the project, said the road is designed as a three-lane dual carriageway constructed on Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP), with all environmental and technical challenges accounted for. Mr. Musa Saidu, Director of Bridges and Design at the Ministry of Works, confirmed that issues involving gas pipelines supplying the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Free Zone were being addressed and expressed confidence that community stakeholder concerns would also be resolved.
Finally, Jason Wang, Managing Director of China Harbour, assured that the company would deliver a high-quality project without excuses.
