Experts endorse coastal highway, urge inclusive planning

Stakeholders in the built environment have stated that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has the potential to improve national connectivity, strengthen regional development, support logistics, open economic opportunities, promote tourism, connect coastal markets and reduce spatial isolation.

This formed the thrust of discussions on Thursday at the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, during the 2026 Femi Olomola Lecture themed, “Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Balancing National Development, Environmental Concerns and Socio-Economic Opportunities.”

The event was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Lagos State Chapter, in conjunction with the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, Lagos State Branch.

The guest speaker, Prof Peter Elias, Professor of Geography and Co-Director, Centre of Housing and Sustainable Development, University of Lagos, stressed that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway represents both promise and risk.

“Its promise lies in its potential to improve national connectivity, strengthen regional development, support logistics, open economic opportunities, promote tourism, connect coastal markets and reduce spatial isolation. Nigeria needs such transformative infrastructure. A country of Nigeria’s size, population and economic ambition cannot achieve inclusive development without major investments in transport connectivity. Yet the risk is equally clear,” Elias said.

On the risks associated with the infrastructure, Elias lamented that the highway is being inserted into an already stressed coastal zone. He stressed that urban expansion has already fragmented ecological assets, reduced forests and wetlands, increased developed land and intensified pressure on drainage and coastal systems.

“Climate risks are rising. Coastal communities face the possibility of displacement, livelihood disruption and loss of access. If the project is governed narrowly as a road, it may accelerate environmental degradation and social injustice,” he added.

According to him, the way forward is not to avoid infrastructure development but to improve the way infrastructure is planned and delivered. He maintained that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway should be treated as a resilient coastal development corridor.

“It should connect ports, industries, markets and communities while protecting forests, wetlands, waterways and livelihoods. It should be designed for future climate risks, not only present traffic needs. It should include affected communities as stakeholders in value creation, not be seen as obstacles to development aspirations. It should be monitored transparently and guided by professional ethics,” he said.

He reiterated that, for Nigeria’s built-environment professionals, this is a defining moment, adding that the task is to help the country build boldly but responsibly; nationally but inclusively; economically but ecologically.

“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway can become a new standard for how Nigeria builds. But that standard will not emerge automatically. It must be planned, defended, monitored and sustained,” he said.

In his keynote address, the Chairman of the 2026 Femi Olomola Lecture, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulwasiu Omogbolahan Lawal Abisogun, the Oniru of Iruland, said the lecture has become an important platform for professional and intellectual engagement on issues critical to physical planning.

“This biennial lecture has become an important platform for professional and intellectual engagement on issues that are critical to physical planning, urban development and the sustainable growth of our society,” he said.

Omogbolahan explained that the theme of this year’s event is both apt and timely, as it reflects the delicate balance required in pursuing transformational infrastructure while safeguarding the environment and ensuring inclusive socio-economic development.

“As the traditional ruler of Iru Kingdom, I have a unique perspective on this project, being the custodian of the community that serves as the take-off point of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The Iru Kingdom has historically served as a willing partner in the development of Lagos and Nigeria. From the colonial era to the present day, successive generations of our people have embraced progress and supported initiatives aimed at advancing the common good,” he said.

He added that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a continuation of that tradition. “Indeed, while the implementation of the Coastal Highway has resulted in the loss of some businesses and real estate assets within our domain, we accepted these sacrifices in the larger public interest and with the conviction that future generations will ultimately reap the fruits of this visionary investment,” he said.

The monarch commended President Bola Tinubu not only for demonstrating the political will to embark on a project that had remained on the drawing board for nearly three decades but also for the extensive stakeholder engagement that has accompanied its implementation.

“Such consultations have contributed significantly to the relatively smooth execution of the project and underscore the importance of inclusive governance in delivering critical infrastructure,” he said.

Earlier, the Lagos State Chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Oladele Akindele, said the biennial lecture series serves as a platform for intellectual engagement, professional reflection and the exchange of ideas on critical issues affecting the growth of the profession and the development of society.

He added that the event also serves as an opportunity to inspire the next generation of professionals by highlighting the values of excellence, innovation and selfless service.

“The topic of this year’s lecture, ‘The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Balancing National Development, Environmental Concerns and Socio-Economic Opportunities,’ aims to explore the complexities of this all-important infrastructure project and its implications for regional and national development, environmental sustainability and socio-economic growth among the populace,” he said.

Also speaking, the National President of the NITP, Dr Ogbonna Chime, said: “The theme selected for this year’s lecture addresses one of the most significant infrastructure initiatives currently shaping the developmental landscape of our nation. As professionals committed to the orderly, sustainable and equitable development of human settlements, we recognise both the immense opportunities and the complex challenges associated with projects of this magnitude.”