Lagos-Calabar Highway targets 250,000 Jobs, 2% GDP growth, Tinubu says

President Bola Tinubu says the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway could contribute 2% to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through expanded trade, tourism and industrial activity, while generating an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs.

He also said the project is expected to reduce logistics costs along the corridor by 15% to 20%.

Tinubu disclosed this in a statement titled From Reforms to Delivery: Our Infrastructure Investment and Growth Strategy, issued on Friday, October 30, 2026.

The President, while defending his recent borrowing plans, which have drawn criticism from the opposition and some Nigerians, identified the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as one of the major projects expected to benefit from the proposed facility.

According to the statement, the project is estimated to generate about 100,000 direct jobs in construction and engineering, alongside more than 150,000 indirect jobs across related sectors.

The President said the highway would also reduce the cost of moving goods and services along its route, while supporting economic activities across the corridor.

Beyond the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Tinubu identified the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Trans-Sahara Superhighway, electricity grid upgrades and the modernisation of key commercial ports in Lagos as major projects expected to strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity.

The President’s projections position the coastal highway as part of the administration’s wider infrastructure investment plans.

Tinubu links infrastructure to $1 trillion economy

Tinubu argued that Nigeria would need improved infrastructure to achieve its ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

He said sustained investment in infrastructure would be necessary to support higher productivity, industrialisation and trade.

He also stated that improving economic indicators and growing international investor confidence were creating opportunities for Nigeria to attract long-term investment and expand critical infrastructure.

He maintained that a $1 trillion economy would not emerge through declarations alone but would require sustained investment, higher productivity, industrialisation and trade.

A few days before the statement, President Tinubu asked the Senate to approve a supplementary external borrowing plan of $20.52 billion and €1.05 billion for 2026–2027 to finance infrastructure and development projects across Nigeria.

According to Tinubu, most of the projects would be implemented across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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