Highway to Where?

Beyond being a transformative infrastructure project aimed at connecting Nigeria’s southern coastline, the story of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway represents the interplay of competing interests in undertaking monumental economic projects.

Written by Chidera Ukairo

Sep 1, 2024

Photo illustration by Dami Mojid for THE REPUBLIC.

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into office on 29 May 2023, he inherited an economy that was—and essentially still is—struggling with sky-high unemployment and immense debt. He assured Nigerians that he would ‘repay through massive investment in transportation infrastructure…and other public utilities that will improve the quality of lives.’ He attempted to follow through by kicking off his administration with the end of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy programme. While experts from the International Institute for Sustainable Development backed the move, agreeing that the subsidy had become an increased financial burden, the decision thrust the country into arguably one of the worst cost-of-living crises and unsurprisingly skyrocketed the cost of transportation, which ultimately affected the cost of food and services.

Though this proved too steep a change to make, as the International Monetary Fund suggested in May 2024 that there is an implicit subsidy in the government’s cap on petrol prices, it was a grand step in the new administration’s plans to tackle the country’s economy. Fast-forward to the present day and the Tinubu administration has taken another bold step in the direction of country-wide economic growth. It has introduced the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

You’ve Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

The Republic is a Nigerian media-tech company dedicated to explaining our time—through deeply reported journalism on power, culture and society.

Ad-Free Reading Experience

Focused consumption without interruptions.

Unlimited Access to Exclusive Archives

Years of reporting at your fingertips.

In-Depth Deep-dive Reporting

Long-form journalism that matters.

Create a free account to continue reading this month and access more of our work.

About the Author

Chidera Ukairo

is a writer whose work ranges from exploratory articles to personal essays and reviews.

Comments

SHOP THE REPUBLIC

The Sinister Side of Oluremi Tinubu’s ‘Entrepreneurial Citizenship’

The recent rhetoric of micro-entrepreneurship advanced by Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, harks back to longstanding assumptions about poverty in Africa while echoing a newer, more insidious discourse of entrepreneurial citizenship. Taken together, these narratives serve the interests of African governments and powerful external actors.

—March 22, 2026

The Night Women of Benin City

As daylight fades in Benin City, women step into the night to sustain families, communities and an informal economy that keeps the city alive. The women-led night markets of Benin transform into spaces of survival, solidarity and quiet resistance.

—March 22, 2026

The Speculative Worlds of ‘Yan Crypto

You thought the Nigerian cryptocurrency ecosystem was confined to Lagos? Think again. Meet northern Nigeria’s ‘yan crypto and the digital worlds of volatile money they deftly navigate.

—December 21, 2025

Inside Nigerian Freelancers’ Currency Trap

Nigeria’s freelance economy is growing, but for millions of digital workers, receiving international payments remains an extreme sport. If the country wants to export digital labour and capture its value at home, it must first fix how that labour gets paid.

—November 9, 2025

What Naira Decoupling Means for Nigeria’s Economy

For decades, oil has dictated the fate of the naira. When crude prices soared, the currency strengthened; when they collapsed, the naira buckled. This cycle, so familiar to Nigerians, once seemed unbreakable.

Subscribe to our free newsletter.

What’s your e-mail?

You’re in — welcome to The Republic

Complete your onboarding

Read

Connect

Apps

More

Read

Connect

Apps

More

Highway to Where?