Works Minister David Umahi said a standard kilometer of carriageway on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway costs $5.5 million, defending direct procurement in an exclusive interview with ARISE News, BusinessDay reported Monday.
Umahi said the government selected Hitech Construction because of its specialist coastal engineering experience. He cited the company’s work on Eko Atlantic as relevant to the project’s technical challenges from Atlantic Ocean surges.
The minister said the project was not publicly advertised, but argued that federal procurement rules permit direct procurement for specialist work without competitive bids. He said open tendering involves public advertisements.
Umahi said the Bureau of Public Procurement examined the submission and ordered a section-by-section rollout. The Federal Executive Council approved direct procurement afterward, he said.
He said Hitech had initially hesitated to take on the coastal protection work because of financial and technical risks. Umahi said the company later developed a barrier system using concrete structures and geotextile materials. He cited earlier foreign interventions that, he said, failed to protect Victoria Island.
