President Bola Tinubu has warned property developers and landowners against building on federal infrastructure corridors without proper authorisation, emphasising the implication of such actions and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to enforcing urban planning regulations.

The President spoke Saturday at the official inauguration of Phase 1, Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway landmark project, which covers 750 kilometres passes through Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River States and is designed as a six-lane carriageway within a 60-meter corridor.

President Tinubu stressed that the era of indiscriminate development and encroachment on public infrastructure is over.

He stressed that his government will not be disposed to paying compensation for buildings or developments that violate federal right-of-way regulations, saying “if you build illegally, you bear the consequences.”

The President urged developers, traditional leaders, and local authorities to respect existing urban development laws, noting that illegal construction not only threatens the integrity of national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.

He further urged them as well as other local authorities to respect existing urban development laws, adding that illegal construction not only threatens the integrity of national infrastructure but also endangers lives and undermines economic growth.

President Tinubu also called on Nigerians to treat public infrastructure as a shared national asset, emphasising that roads, bridges, and highways must be preserved and maintained through collective responsibility.

“These projects belong to all of us. They are not political trophies, they are lifelines for future generations. Every citizen has a role to play in keeping them safe, clean, and functional.”

He appealed to communities along the coastal highway corridor to guard the infrastructure from vandalism, illegal dumping, and unauthorised modifications, while also emphasising the importance of government collaboration with professional bodies, civil society, and local councils to enforce maintenance culture across the country.

Shedding light on the early challenges his administration faced in initiating the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, the President recalled how critics dismissed the project as a venture that was not realisable.

His words: “Many critics dismissed it as impossible, citing the unpredictable and destructive nature of the Atlantic Ocean along the Lekki-Epe-Victoria Island axis.

“We were told it couldn’t be done. Some said the Atlantic would devour us. But we stood firm. We rejected fear, and we embraced science, engineering, and courage.”

He said through strategic coastal defences and the use of reinforced concrete pavement technology, his administration prevented what he described as a looming ecological disaster:

“A tsunami-like disaster would have washed away Ikoyi and Victoria Island. But today, we have not only tamed the ocean, we’ve turned a threat into a treasure.”

President Tinubu said the completed phase now stands as a testament to visionary leadership, resilience, and the strength of Nigerian engineering, protecting key economic and residential zones while unlocking massive economic potential along the southern corridor.

As the project itches toward completion, President Tinubu reiterated that every Nigerian, whether developer, engineer, community member, or public servant, has a stake in its success.

He said: “Let us build, not destroy. Let us protect, not abuse. And let us always remember: progress is not handed to us, we must shape it together.”

Also speaking on the occasion, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio urged serving governors, particularly those nearing the end of their terms, to be intentional and patriotic in seeking a successor.

Akpabio commended the President’s vision and execution, describing him as a leader blessed with both “sight and vision.”

He said: “Mr. President, I can confirm once again that with this commissioning today, you have proven that whenever the National Assembly says you are doing well, we are always right”.

The Senate President recalled a story he once shared at the APC National Convention, the story of a blind girl, Hellen Keller, who was the first to use braille to earn a First Class degree at Radcliffe College, Harvard University.

“When asked what could be worse than being blind, she replied: ‘to have sight but no vision.’ But in you, Mr President, we have a leader who possesses both.”

While advising serving state governors, particularly those in their second and final terms, Akpabio cautioned: “Do not hand over power to anyone who is not looking for it. Do not hand over power to someone who is not prepared. Governance is too important to be left in the hands of cronies or loyalists who lack capacity.”

He particularly warned the governors against choosing successors based on superficial loyalty or subservience:

His words: “Don’t go thinking, ‘this boy is very humble; he always kneels when he talks to me, and his wife rolls on the floor.’ That is not leadership. If you make that mistake, you will be handing power to someone who is not ready, and they will disappoint you. That is how betrayal begins.”

Akpabio, who is also a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, emphasised that the true measure of a leader’s legacy lies in the calibre of his successor.

He told the governors: “Choose someone who shares your vision, your values, and your love for the people, not just someone who flatters you. Nigeria needs leaders who are ready to lead from day one.”

The Senate President reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for the President’s infrastructure agenda and hailed the coastal highway project as a “generational gift” to Nigeria’s economic and security future.

Speaking earlier, Works Minister, Senator Dave Umahi praised President Tinubu for what he’s doing across the country, and for insisting that Nigerian youth should be made to learn the new technology, saying that after God, his loyalty would be to the President.

According to him, the real thing is the reinforced concrete pavement which, according to him, can last between 50 and 100 years.

Umahi also requested President Tinubu to direct Dangote and BUA cement companies to remit two percent of their sales to the Ministry as reward for helping them to increase their sales.

His words: “I want to request, sir, my brother Zach is here, we have increased the sales of my brother Dangote and my brother BUA. Mr President, I want you to order that they should pay us just two percent of the increase in their sales because we are supporting them. So, my motion is that two percent of their additional sales should come to the Ministry of Works so that we’ll do more.”

Umahi also disclosed that N18 billion has so far been paid as compensation for section one of the project.

Deji Elumoye

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