Federal Government Threatens to Shut Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Over Reckless Driving and Vandalism

The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a stern 14-day ultimatum warning that it will shut down the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway if motorists and local communities fail to adhere to critical safety regulations and halt the destruction of road infrastructure.

The directive was announced on Monday, September 21, 2026, by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, acting on instructions from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, following an inspection tour of the 103-kilometer stretch.

Officials revealed that despite the highway remaining an active construction zone with a strictly enforced speed limit of 30 km/h, reckless drivers are routinely exceeding 120 km/h, leading to fatal crashes on an almost daily basis. Beyond dangerous driving, authorities uncovered alarming levels of sabotage, including the theft of over 150 directional road signs, five kilometers of ClearVu protective fencing, and concrete drainage covers spanning 18 kilometers.

“Within two weeks, if there's no improvement on all these issues, then we have no option but to come back and shut down this road... Lives are being lost on the coastal road almost every other day. We are here and we can see it. And with all of this, it must stop.”
— Olufemi Dare, Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State

As part of immediate enforcement measures, the government has banned commercial motorcycles (Okada), tricycles, roadside hawking, illegal shanties, and livestock grazing along the corridor.

Additionally, the Ministry of Works is partnering with the Lagos State Police Command to step up armed patrols, deploy CCTV surveillance, recruit 40 community-based coastal guards, and replace stolen steel fencing with solid concrete barriers to deter vandals. Should the highway be closed, traffic will be redirected back to the primary Lekki-Epe Expressway corridor.
What are your thoughts on the 14-day ultimatum and the proposed shut down of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway? Drop your comments below!

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