By Our Correspondent

National News – Stakeholders and economic experts say the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road could transform Nigeria’s economy and potentially raise the country’s Gross Domestic Product to between $1.4 trillion and $14 trillion over the next 50 years if properly developed and coordinated.

The projection was discussed on Tuesday during a strategic investment dialogue organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission at Cocoa House in Ibadan, Ibadan.

The meeting brought together representatives from South-West states and members of the BRACED Commission, which represents Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo states.

Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye, described the coastal highway as the largest infrastructure initiative undertaken in Nigeria in the past six decades.

He said the meeting aimed to ensure that the South-West and South-South regions work together to fully harness the economic benefits of the project.

According to him, states such as Lagos, Ogun and Ondo must align development plans with neighbouring South-South states along the corridor to prevent fragmented growth and missed economic opportunities.

In a keynote lecture, Olawale Opayinka, Managing Director of Makaya Consult at Eko Atlantic City, explained that the corridor holds more than 700 square kilometres of potential development land.

He said structured planning and coordinated governance could generate enterprise value ranging from $1.4 trillion to as much as $14 trillion over the next five decades.

Opayinka added that Nigeria’s economy, currently valued at roughly $400 billion, could experience a significant transformation if states along the corridor cooperate in infrastructure development, land management and investment planning.

Officials from Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states, alongside investment agencies and planning authorities, also emphasised the need for joint governance structures, security coordination and effective zoning policies to unlock the full economic potential of the coastal highway project.