A political advocacy group has praised President Bola Tinubu’s integrated five-port trade corridor project, describing it as a strategic move to boost economic growth and position Nigeria as West Africa’s primary logistics hub.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) said the initiative connects major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt, and Calabar through an extensive network of coastal highways, inland expressways, and rail lines.
TMSG Chairman Emeka Nwankpa and Secretary Dapo Okubanjo noted that ongoing legacy infrastructure—including the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto–Badagry expressway—forms the backbone of the trade corridor.
The group explained that interconnecting rail lines will link coastal ports directly to landlocked northern regions and neighboring Sahelian markets, including Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso.
“At the heart of the initiative is an integrated maritime, rail, road, and logistics network to reposition Nigeria as a major gateway to African markets,” the group said, adding that the project will drive investments in manufacturing, agro-processing, and warehousing nationwide.
Dissecting the debate
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project remains at the center of an intense political debate in Nigeria, with opposition figures and civil society groups raising sharp concerns over its multi-trillion-naira cost and contract award process. Critics—led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and key opposition leaders—accuse the federal government of bypassing open competitive bidding and failing to provide clear per-kilometer cost breakdowns for the 700km highway. The Ministry of Works has defended the project, stating that the contract was legally awarded under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Finance (EPC+F) framework, while emphasizing that the initial sections involve complex concrete paving designed to withstand severe coastal conditions.
Beyond fiscal transparency, economic analysts and affected business owners have questioned the administration’s funding priorities and environmental impact. Critics argue that securing large syndicated loans for a massive new project is risky while crucial existing interstate trade routes remain in disrepair. Concerns also persist over the socio-economic toll along the corridor, where right-of-way demolitions—including the partial destruction of major hospitality assets like the Landmark Beach Resort in Lagos—have sparked court challenges and heavy private sector losses, even as the government maintains the long-term trade benefits far outweigh the short-term disruptions.
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