President Bola Tinubu has appealed to state governors to avoid giving planning approvals for land without collaborating with the Surveyor General of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Works.
He emphasized the need for governors to collaborate with the Federal Government on infrastructural development, particularly concerning some legacy highway projects.
President Tinubu made this appeal on Thursday during the official inauguration of the access road to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
“I have directed the Honourable Minister of Works to work with the Surveyor General of the Federation and all the state governors on these legacy projects route bypass to procure reasonable setbacks for land future expansion, building of infrastructures to enhance road architecture, and return on Investment.
“Please, our dear governors, let’s work together. Don’t give planning approvals without collaborating with the Surveyor General of the Federation and the Ministry of Works, please, I appeal to you,” Tinubu said.
‘We are Very Serious’
During the inauguration of Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway on Saturday, Tinubu warned against encroachment on setbacks around federal highways.
Emphasizing the point again on Thursday, he further stated that any approvals already granted for illegal setbacks would be revoked by the Federal Government.
“I am glad the Deputy Governor of Lagos is here, take it that we will revoke all those approvals, even on the setbacks already given, and please note that we are very serious about this. No more planning approval for those unapproved islands being created illegally,” the President warned.
Setbacks are the distance a building must be from a road or property line, generally ranging from three metres to nine metres.
Tinubu commended the Federal Ministry of Works, Messrs Hitech Construction Company Limited, Messrs Dangote Industries Limited, BUA, and all contractors involved in the country’s road development. He said his administration is committed to building enduring infrastructure nationwide.
He dismissed critics of the government’s legacy projects for being ignorant about how the government awarded the legacy roads to contractors.
“It is necessary to note that the Federal Executive Council approved our Legacy Projects to be procured, awarded, and constructed in sections. The completed 30 km segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is part of the 47.7 km, six-lane Section I contract, not a wholesale 750 km contract, as some have suggested. No contractor has been awarded the entire corridor.
“Our approach has been systematic, transparent, and section-based. The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, envisioned 47 years ago under the Shagari administration, is another legacy project we have revived. This corridor – spanning Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos -holds immense potential for agriculture, trade, and industrialisation.
“It connects over 58 dams, vast arable farmlands, and trade routes to our West African neighbours and offers great promise for windmill energy generation. Construction is well underway. In Kebbi, we have completed over 10 km of the 258 km three-lane carriageway, and today we flag off the second carriageway. This section is the longest in all our Legacy Projects.
“In Sokoto, work has begun on the 120 km 2single-carriageway by three lanes from Illela. I understand that over 10 km of this project has already been completed. Today, we shall be flagging off the second carriageway of 120km with three lanes.
“Work is also at an advanced stage in this section. More sections are being designed for procurement and award within the whole length of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway. On my way here, I witnessed significant progress at Section II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with over 10 km of the 55 km stretch already completed.
“I am also pleased to report ongoing works in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom sections and have directed that more segments be designed and procured. The Trans-Sahara Trade Route, another visionary project, is advancing steadily. It will connect Calabar to Abuja via Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa.”
