PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: In a significant move for national development, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has thrown its weight behind the construction of a 700km coastal highway stretching from Lagos to Calabar. The President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, emphasized the importance of this initiative during a meeting with Ogoni Students at the national secretariat of MOSOP in Bori, the headquarters of Khana local government area.
Nsuke highlighted the potential of the coastal highway to bolster communication, facilitate distribution networks, and spur job creation through heightened economic activities along the route. He remarked, “I think the road is a good initiative and it will come with a lot of economic benefits. The multiplier effects will create jobs and boost trade.”
However, Nsuke also underscored the necessity of completing the nationwide railway network to further bolster the economy and alleviate transportation costs. “It is also important that the government pays even greater emphasis on the railway system being a cheaper transportation means and effectively maintains the existing road network to reduce and possibly mitigate the bad-roads-induced losses,” he added.
Advocating for similar transformative projects across the country, Nsuke emphasized the significance of national unity and economic advancement. “We would like to see such a major road project linking Lagos to Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, and Enugu. Its impact on national unity and the economy will be profound,” he said, calling for widespread support for the endeavor.
The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, spanning 700km, aims to establish a vital link between Lagos and Cross River, traversing through the coastal states of Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom. Despite generating controversy among political parties, with criticism from the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the project is slated for completion within eight years.
