The Federal Government has unveiled plans to embark on an ambitious infrastructure project that could give Nigeria — and indeed Africa — its first-ever underwater tunnel. The tunnel, designed to stretch 2.9 kilometers, will connect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, easing traffic pressure on Lagos bridges and improving national connectivity.
According to Business Day, Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection tour in Lagos. According to him, the tunnel will link Ahmadu Bello Way on Victoria Island to Snake Island, with an extension running towards Badagry.
“Our tunnel is inside the ground. It’s going to be 2.9 kilometers long, and when completed, it will be the first underwater tunnel in Africa,” Umahi explained.
To finance the project, Umahi revealed that the government would not resort to external borrowing but instead would leverage land resources around Snake Island and Badagry under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
“Before people start shouting that we want to borrow, let me make it clear — we have land at Snake Island and Badagry. We intend to use these lands under PPP, through a Build, Operate, and Transfer arrangement, to fund this project,” he said.
The minister added that the tunnel is part of the Federal Government’s broader vision to seamlessly link the northern Sokoto–Badagry corridor with the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, boosting trade, mobility, and regional development.
Umahi also took the opportunity to clarify the government’s new procurement policy, which bars foreign firms from bidding for contracts below ₦20 billion while reserving such opportunities for indigenous contractors.
“We are saying expatriate firms will no longer handle jobs below ₦20 billion. Nigerian contractors are capable and can take on projects worth billions and even trillions,” he stated.
On road standards, Umahi issued a stern warning to contractors against leaving binder courses uncovered for long periods, stressing that such practices weaken roads and lead to premature failure. He warned that erring contractors would receive negative certificates and have project funds recovered from them.
