The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has inaugurated the Coastal Highway Guards, a 40-member security and monitoring team established to protect the newly developed coastal highway and other government infrastructure along the route.

The initiative is aimed at preventing activities capable of undermining the safety, functionality and long-term sustainability of the highway.

Led by retired General Adekunle Shodunke, the guards will monitor designated sections of the highway and respond to activities such as vandalism, hawking, loitering and the unauthorised use of tricycles, popularly known as keke, and motorcycles, or okada.

The team is also expected to work closely with relevant security agencies to strengthen surveillance and ensure that government infrastructure along the corridor remains adequately protected.

The establishment of the Coastal Highway Guards comes as the Federal Government continues its efforts to develop and safeguard the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, one of Nigeria’s major ongoing transport infrastructure projects.

Beyond protecting the physical infrastructure, the monitoring team is expected to promote orderly use of the highway, discourage activities that could compromise road safety and help preserve the government’s investment in the project.

With an initial deployment of 40 officers, the Federal Government is adopting a dedicated monitoring structure rather than relying solely on conventional security agencies to safeguard the highway.

The success of the initiative, however, will depend largely on sustained coordination between the guards, the police, other security agencies, road management authorities and communities along the coastal corridor.

If effectively implemented, the Coastal Highway Guards could become an important part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to protect critical infrastructure and ensure that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway delivers its intended economic and transportation benefits to Nigerians.