The Great Lagos - Calabar Coastal Highway
An overview of the 700 km, 10-lane coastal highway project connecting Victoria Island (Lagos) to Calabar (Cross River).
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Megaproject
A 10-lane coastal expressway megaproject designed to open up and connect 9 of Nigeria's coastal states.
Section 1: A First Stretch Already Open in Victoria Island
The project's first phase, a 47.47-kilometer stretch starting at Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island, began construction in March 2024. In December 2025, the federal government temporarily opened a 30-kilometer stretch of this Section 1 to traffic, a major symbolic milestone for a megaproject previously known mainly through announcements. Full completion of this first 47.47 km section is now expected before the end of Q2 2026.
A Route Crossing Nine Coastal States
Beyond Lagos, the highway is designed to cross nine of Nigeria's coastal states (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River) over roughly 700 kilometers to Calabar, with a 10-lane roadway in its widest configuration. According to Minister of Works David Umahi, the full stretch covering Sections 1 and 2, about 106 kilometers, is expected to be completed by December 2026, while work on the sections crossing Cross River and Akwa Ibom began in early 2025.
A Project With Multiple Stakes for Lagos
For Lagos, this highway represents a backbone infrastructure project meant to eventually ease traffic toward the east of the country and boost the value of the Victoria Island and Eko Atlantic waterfront, since the initial route runs directly alongside this area. iLagosCity notes, however, that the project has also sparked controversy, particularly over compensation for displaced residents and environmental impact on some sensitive coastal zones, issues worth tracking as construction advances into neighboring states.
A Rail Line Built Into the Project
The federal government has also announced the start of railway construction along Section 1 of the highway, with the ambition of combining road and rail transport within a single corridor. If this rail component is delivered on the announced timeline, it would position this corridor as one of the most integrated transport infrastructure projects ever built in Nigeria, far beyond a simple expressway.