• Coastal highway breathes life into Cross River local communities, economy
By Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
As construction of the Cross River section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway kicks off, new life has been breathed into the local communities and economy of the state. The 750 kilometres super highway which is one of the signature projects of the President Bola Tinubu administration takes off from Awi, a forested and mineral dense community in Cross River State.
The area, which is located in Akamkpa local government area of the state, is noted for its huge land, agriculture and solid mineral resources. But despite its huge resource potentials, the communities around the area face serious challenge of road infrastructure which severely undermines local economies.
The Awi community, for instance, and indeed the council area as a whole sits on huge solid mineral resources, which feeds the construction needs of not just Cross River but neighbouring states. However, lack of access to a quality road infrastructure to serve as an evacuation corridor for these God given resources has been a challenge over the years.
To worsen matters, the Calabar Itu Highway which also links the communities has not been in its best state for years. It is not uncommon to see fully loaded trailers with granite, limestone and other mineral resources falling off the road and shattering the local economy.
However, the situation is about to change with the flag off of the construction of the Cross River section of the highway which will begin in Awi. Section 3A of the highway which links Cross River and Akwa Ibom states is 65km long and will pass through 14 communities in the state.The include Awi, Njahasang, Oduyama, Ikot Okon Akiba, Obot Ekpo, Atan Okoyong, Ekemkpon, Mkpara Otop, Kaifa, Nduoduo, Oboroko, Esuk Ekom, Nikita and Ekong Atan Oku before linking with the Calabar River Bridge to Akwa Ibom State.
Beyond serving as an evacuation corridor for the resources of the community, the route of the road will also create a very viable alternative to travellers from Calabar to Akwa Ibom and other parts of Nigeria. Besides this, the laudable project will also serve as an evacuation corridor for products from the Cross River Special Agriculture Processing Zone whose construction is ongoing in Adiabo, near Calabar, the state capital.
Speaking during the flag off of the project, President Bola Tinubu, said the project will change the economic narrative of the state.The president, who was represented by the Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu, underscored the economic value of the highway.
He said: “When Calabar was the seat of the defunct southern protectorate, the city was the hub of the trans Atlantic trade which was majorly transacted through the sea. With the envisaged construction of the coastal highway, the narrative of the city’s enviable position will be reaffirmed.
“The road is an economic enabler, job creation booster, inter/intra regional linkage, facilitator of cultural exchange and other verticals.”
He also disclosed that with the road, products from SAPZ will have a seamless evacuation corridor to other parts of the country and the global market. He challenged residents to reawaken their entrepreneurial spirit by taking maximum advantage of the potentials the road offers.
Also speaking, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the dream of the project, which began 27 years ago, is now coming to fruition. He emphasized that the coastal highway is not just a road but an investment and is quite an innovative project.
“This project is quite innovative and it is only President Bola Tinubu who can do something like this. It is only Tinubu who can come to a forest like this and change it into a city.
“The president had a dream of this road 27 years ago and it is God that gave him the wisdom and the opportunity to realize the dream. This is quite rare and it shows he is a divine president”, the minister said.
Senator Florence Ita, a former lawmaker, who represented the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, said with the project the state has been relinked to Nigeria.
She said: “Cross River State had been cut away from the rest of the country and could not be assessed by road. This coastal highway will give us what to showcase to the world and substantially improve on the economy of our local communities.”
Professor Eyo Etim Nyong, the chairman of the Cross River State Policy Advisory Committee, expressed happiness that the promise of the road has landed in Cross River State.
“This is a very good project by the president. Besides being a good avenue for movement of goods and services.
“We are very happy to have this laudable project kick off here and our people are proud of the highway,” he said.
Engr. Pius Anikpo, the Cross River State works commissioner, described the project as a big win for the state. “This is a very big win for us and I commend the works minister for having the initiative to deploy concrete technology for this project.
“For us in Cross River, it’s a win-win situation because we have an abundance of limestone and cement which is a major component of the project. With this project the stones we have in abundance here and the cement we produce here will be used for the project and we will be consuming what we produce here,” he said.
Comrade Sabastine Raphael, the national president of the Delivery Vehicle Owners and Drivers Association (DELVAN), said the project will add serious advantage and economic value to the transport business and thanked the president for it
He said: “As stakeholders in the transport business, I want to specifically thank President Tinubu for the initiative as well as Senator Bassey Otu for keying into the idea. This project is one of the best things to happen to Nigeria.
“We have been crying over time due to our state of inter and intra city roads. This highway will add serious economic value to the transport subsector, cut costs of running our businesses and save lives.”
Hon. Felix Akposi, the executive chairman of Akamkpa LGA, described the project as a “monumental infrastructural breakthrough with vast potential for economic transformation across the state.
“As one of the host local government areas of the coastal highway, we will strategically leverage the project to advance our developmental frontiers. I envision a rapid transformation in the area with the emergence of new towns, urban centres and epicentres of agricultural and social tourism,” he said.
Asuquo Ukpanyang, the community liaison officer, assured of the support and cooperation of the host communities. He said: “We, the community stakeholders, are happy not just for the project but the government’s engagement with the host communities.
“We are truly grateful for the take off of the project in view of its huge potential for the economy of the area.”