The Federal Government has awarded the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to Hitech Road Construction Company.
The development was announced by the Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, during a meeting held in Lagos with engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works and the contractor’s team, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.
Umahi emphasized that this project, which aims to enhance connectivity across the nation, reflects President Bola Tinubu’s strong commitment to Nigeria’s restoration and rapid development.
He stressed that President Tinubu is eager to expedite the project’s commencement as part of his efforts to improve the country.
The minister disclosed that this initial meeting was the first step in the process, with another meeting scheduled in two weeks to finalize the construction agreements.
The project will be executed as a Public Private Partnership and will be tolled upon completion, with the contractor already securing the necessary funding.
Phased construction, rail integration, and toll collection strategy
Umahi explained that the highway would be constructed in phases, with the completed sections being opened for use and toll collection.
The proposed route will link the Lagos-Badagry Expressway superhighway, the Fourth Mainland Bridge, Lekki Deep Sea Port Road, and connect various points in Northern Nigeria via Ogoja-Ikom.
The project, with an initial design length of approximately 650 to 700 kilometres, will also feature rail lines running in the middle of the main carriageways.
Umahi revealed that the project is expected to stimulate tourism and include industrial clusters, such as hotels, factories, housing estates, and other amenities.
The minister highlighted the innovative use of 11-inch-thick concrete roads with 20-millimetre reinforcement, which will support local cement manufacturing, boost steel production from Ajaokuta, and utilize Nigeria’s abundant bitumen resources.
In his words:
“It is quite innovative and the giant of Africa is beginning to show her prowess and this is being revitalized by the captain of the ship, his excellency President Bola Tinubu.
“So, this is beautiful. Another good news is that this is going to be built on a concrete road of 11 inches thick with 20-millimeter reinforcement.”
However, the minister acknowledged that the project would encounter challenges due to its passage through mangroves, mashy areas, flood plains, and various soil types. As a result, a combination of construction methods, including pile-supported decks, sand filling, and retaining walls, will be employed.
In Umahi words:
“And so, there will be a combination of all kinds of construction methods, the deck on pile would be there, the sand filling would be there, the retaining walls would be there.
“So, it’s a very ambitious project, quite technical and highly rewarding.”
The second meeting, scheduled in two weeks, will focus on the business case study, allowing the project to progress to the design phase. Umahi noted that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a groundbreaking project, the first of its kind in Africa.
“So, the second meeting will come up in two weeks where the business case study will be exposed to us, and we will give them a letter to own the project and then to engage in the design.
“The Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Highway is the first of its kind in the whole of Africa,” he said.
Project significance and environmental considerations of the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway
Nicholas Rizk, the consultant to Hitech Construction Company, highlighted that the chosen construction methods were well suited for a country with Nigeria’s vast landmass.
He emphasized that the project would traverse diverse topographical areas and benefit nine states along its route.
The highway will connect regions at both the national and international levels, serving as a vital link between South West, South East, South-South, Niger Delta, and other regions.
It will also integrate with existing federal roads, promoting economic and social development across the country.
In Rizk’s words: “We are connecting nine states and this road.
“In addition to the integration at the national level for Southwest and Southeast, South-South and Niger Delta, it connects with the Federal Roads going from Lagos to Sokoto.
“From Warri to Kaduna, from Port Harcourt to Kano-Maiduguri, and from Calabar to Maiduguri.
“So as the Minister mentioned, we have this coastal highway that is more or less 10 to 12 kilometres away from the shorelines to consider the issue of erosion and the sensitive environmental areas.”
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will start at Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City, pass through the Lekki Coastal Road, Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the Dangote Refinery, connecting Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, and reaching Calabar, Rizk explained.
Furthermore, he detailed how the project considered health, safety, and environmental factors, particularly in oil-producing areas.
Wealthoptulent: Ellupee! Dem dey pee as fear grip, grap & grab dem
For Abia? .......even if Alex Otti contested under Apc, he will still win.. . Abians became fade up with Pdp and Ikpeazu helped to bury the party in Abia.
MOVIE REVIEW: The Black Book: RMD shines as Nigeria’s John Wick, but it’s not enough to save complicated plot
‘‘The Black Book is suitable for a first-time watch. However, watching it again would be a fantastic torture for me."
Cast: Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sam Dede, Alex Osifo, Iretiola Doyle, Patrick Doyle, Femi Branch, Olumide Oworu, Bimbo Manuel, Boki Ofodile, Nobert Young, Shaffy Bello amongst others.
Proper character development is rarely seen in Nollywood movies, and the anticipated 2023 film Black Book seems to understand the assignment with its protagonist.
Paul Edima’s fharacter, played by Nollywood veteran Richard Mofe-Damijo, reminds you of the famous American John Wick character being an action thriller.
They share almost the same backstory, which drives their journey. John Wick is a former hitman drawn back into the criminal underworld he had abandoned.
On the other hand, Paul Edima, who was also a hitman, returns to his former life when his only son, Damilola, is killed by the same gang members he left 24 years ago.
The film tells how the father’s sins, particularly a criminal one, end up visiting the ones he loves most regardless of how he tries to protect them from it.
It’s interesting to see how this story around Paul’s past as a hitman affects his new title of deacon in the present. His life is assessed based on his new faith, and the bothersome question is if he genuinely abandoned his former life or just disguised it.
The film also shows how people in power can manipulate everyone around them for their selfish reasons. Once they get into the highest office, they are in complete control and can change the lives of ordinary people.
Meanwhile, RMD worked to deliver his role as an action thriller protagonist.
Story The plot outlives the pidgin phrase “trouble dey sleep, Nyanga go wake am,” Paul is a notorious hitman who went silent for 24 years and makes a comeback to seek justice for his dead son.
In the beginning, Professor Craig (Bimbo Akintola), the CEO of the Nigeria Energy & Oil Company, has been fighting tirelessly against corruption in her community, but stepping on toes, some people want her out of the office.
This leads to the kidnap of her husband and baby, masterminded by a gang controlled by General Issa (Alex Usifo). For the police to stay off their tracks, they pin the kidnapping on an innocent man, Damilola Edima (Olumide Oworu)
Damilola is also Paul’s son, and it is revealed to viewers that he used to work for General Issa before he went low.
Paul left his past life to become a deacon. When he left, he returned a black book, where he recorded all their criminal escapades, to General Issa, leaving the business behind entirely. He never looked back, but the past has returned to haunt him after they mistakenly killed his son.
When Paul finds out about his only son’s death, not only is he killed, but he is wrongly described as a kidnapper; he decides to go after his son’s killers himself and would stop at nothing. Would he get the justice he seeks?
The Good The first thing worth commending is the story because no film is without an account. The storyline is different, not the usual Nollywood action movie, but it could have been better told.
The cinematic elements are another point to commend the movie, even though it didn’t cut across all shots, especially the outdoor scenes. The night and indoor locations were more cinematic than the day and indoor settings.
Yes, casting! It was a fantastic list of brilliant actors, from Richard Mofe-Damijo to Alex Osifo to Patrick Doyle, Sam Dede, Ireti Doyle, and Shaffy Bello. We see a list of these old and new Nollywood names who brought their A-game.
RMD gave a stellar performance likened to the famous John Wick. Considering his age, his acting in the fight scenes is incredible.
I loved the production design, especially the flashback scenes. It was realistic and helped to give the movie the desired story look. Also, the dialogue was good enough to drive the film but could have been better written.
The Bad The danger of chasing too many things at a time cannot be overemphasised in Nollywood films. Often, producers want to explore several themes at the same time. Because too many questions wish to be answered simultaneously, in the midst of it, the film’s core journey is lost.
Consider the logline of the film, which says that Paul Edima “takes justice into his own hands and fights a corrupt police gang to absolve his son’s unlawful death.”
One would expect that that is what the film is all about, which portrays a clear and definite journey, but no. It tried to kill too many birds with one stone.
After the inciting incident around his son’s death, the story gets a bit complex to keep track of his mission in the film.
Also, the relationship between Paul and his son before his death should have been better established. The producers should have dedicated more than three scenes in a two-hour film to help the audience get emotional watching Paul grieve over his son.
We only see them swimming on the beach, conversing in the kitchen, and then, boom, his son was killed. Considering the plot, their love and relationship should have been further explored.
Watching it, I couldn’t relate to Paul’s tears and pain after losing his son because I wasn’t invested in their relationship enough to feel the emotions of losing someone dear.
Viewers also didn’t get the feel of Paul’s cruelty as the dangerous and most feared hitman he was portrayed as.
Despite being a beautiful film with exciting scenes, The Blackbook could capture viewers’ attention more if the producers delayed some of the secrets revealed at the beginning talk about delayed gratification. The early revelations made it predictably dull and devoid of suspense.
The Black Book is suitable for a first-time watch. However, watching it again would be a fantastic torture for me.
Boondocxs: Problems facing the country include: Banditry and terrorism Kidnapping and ritual murder Insecurity and police brutality/excesses/extra judicial killings High cost of living Inflation Insufficient food security Lack of health facilities Lack of credit facilities Increasing number of school dropouts Child illiteracy/child endangerment Zero job opportunity Cultism Godfatherism USD to NGN inequalities Padi padi government/ nepotism Poor infrastructure Electricity collapse Rising cost of housing market Minimum wage
Addendum Social hooliganism.... Bigotry Moral decay Religious Rascality Environment decay
Odogwujayy: On a more serious note, how does human skulls aid in money rituals. Whoever thought about this in the first place must be an OLODO. Like wtf 😒
All these human parts demands by herbalists are simply a discharge method after collecting so much money from those dimwits....the truth is that some of them will become scared to carryout the task and give up, while those with hardened hearts will go ahead to mine skulls or harvest human parts. Let's assume they succeeded without being caught, the demands from herberlists will increase and become endless.
Exam results: UK nursing council raises concern over widespread fraud in Ibadan centre
The Nursing and Midwifery Council in the United Kingdom said there is evidence of widespread fraud at Yunnik Technologies Test Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria.
This is following the alert raised by the NMC in May, that the registration of a total of 512 Nigerian nurses and midwives, who passed at a CBT centre in Ibadan could be fraudulent or incorrect.
Consequently, the NMC notified those who sat their CBT at the Yunnik centre that it needed to probe their data and the concerns it raised.
Yunnik Technologies Test Centre is one of the centres where Nigerian nurses and midwives who wish to practice in the UK take a computer-based test to assesses their clinical and numeracy competence.
Orile Agege Residents Demand Temporary Bridge... The council in a press statement on Thursday, said the investigation showed that while the majority of the individuals who sat their CBT at the Yunnik centre are not considered to have joined the register fraudulently, there is evidence of widespread fraud at the centre.
“There is evidence of widespread fraudulent activity at the Yunnik centre, where we suspect some people fraudulently obtained their CBT, probably by the use of a proxy tester, where someone takes the test on behalf of someone else. Overall, this means we cannot have confidence in any CBT result from this test centre, and we’re treating all CBTs obtained at Yunnik as invalid.
“It’s essential for the NMC to maintain the safety and integrity of the register, and the public’s trust and confidence in the professions we regulate. This means we need to assure ourselves that anyone on our register, or applying to join it, meets our proficiency standards. A valid CBT result is one way in which an internationally educated professional can demonstrate they meet these standards,” the statement read in part.
It said of the 515 professionals on the register, 48 achieved their score in a time believed is more likely than not to indicate that they obtained their result fraudulently.
“We will refer each of these cases to an independent panel, called an Investigating Committee, to decide whether they gained fraudulent entry to the register. In line with our existing policy, those individuals will be offered three opportunities to take a new CBT and will be able to give the Investigating Committee information about the circumstances in which they took the CBT at Yunnik, including any mitigating circumstances or character references. They’ll have the chance to attend a hearing to provide the Investigating Committee with evidence in person.
“If the Investigating Committee decides that an individual’s entry to our register was fraudulently obtained, they’re likely to direct us to remove that individual from the register. An individual would have a right to appeal against this decision.
“Based on the evidence at this stage, we are not taking forward allegations of fraud for the remaining 467 professionals on the register who took their CBT at Yunnik.
“However, because we are treating all CBTs from the Yunnik site as invalid, they will need to resit the test successfully to remain on our register. They will be offered three opportunities to do this, in line with our existing policy. This will enable them to evidence to any employer that they hold a CBT result about which there can be no doubt,” it said.
NMC Chief Executive and Registrar, Andrea Sutcliffe said, this may be a distressing time for people facing uncertainty about their application or place on our register but the council is managing the concerns most safely and fairly.
“Internationally educated nurses and midwives make an incredibly important contribution to our health and social care system. Our paramount concern remains to protect the public by maintaining the integrity of the register for nursing and midwifery professionals practising in the UK. That’s why we’ve responded to this situation with such painstaking care and consideration.
“We’ve kept employers and key partners, including trade unions and other support groups, updated while we’ve worked through this, encouraging them to support individuals affected and proactively tackle any incidents of racism or discrimination that may have arisen. We’ll continue that dialogue while we move forward with this regulatory action, and I’m grateful for their collaboration and understanding,” Sutcliffe said.
The PUNCH reports that a total of 3,383 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives were licensed to practice in the UK from April 1, 2022, to March 2023.
Data from the NMC also showed that so far, 10,639 Nigerian nurses and midwives practice in the UK.
Madam pls don't ever mention your twin brother Kenny Martins ever again. Obj approved Police Equipment Funds for Mr Kenny Martins, which later became the highest scam ever.....who is Kenny Martins in Nigeria politics before and after Obj's presidency. Obj made Kenny Martins. You can tell that to the gullible and not some us that have information. For the fact that you quickly jumped out to plead on behalf of your husband or ex husband without due consultation shows that type of woman you are. For you to be firing this epistle about your husband....your mental state is really in question. Obj one of the living Nigerians with accomplishments.
jeromestarks: See the old hags these bandit went to kidnap. One will think the girls are fresh beautiful pvssy who can give great sexual pleasures not knowing that they're a bunch of expired pvssies.
Tinubuadvocate: I got a job and moreover I'm not even in Nigeria right now but we are seeing everything here. If you are hungry truly find job to support yourself.
Mumu tell me where you are outside Africa and I will meet you up at my spare time.....you think you are talking with a hungry person like you.
Go and get a job.......suffer no dey belle full you. Fuel is about to become 900per litre , while dollar is 1000. Are you not Nigerian enough to discuss that? Abi you live inside cave.
Celebrities › Re: Sam Larry Is The Father Of Mohbad’s Son – Kemi Olunloyo by Morbeta11(m): 6:57am On Sep 26, 2023
the man wants engagement so as to get paid.
Another lie cooked up from the coven of Gazette NG.