Regional development leaders from southern Nigeria have begun coordinated planning to turn the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road into a multi-trillion-dollar economic corridor, warning that poor planning could squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

At a strategy session hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission in Ibadan, representatives of South-West states met with the BRACED Commission, which represents Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo. The focus was how to align land use, investment and governance along the 750-kilometre highway.

Director-General of the DAWN Commission, Seye Oyeleye, described the coastal road as the most significant infrastructure project in Nigeria in more than six decades and insisted that only a structured, regional approach would unlock its full value.

He said the commission had brought together Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states, alongside their South-South counterparts, to design industrial, green and tourism zones along the route and to avoid the fragmented, unplanned growth that has blighted earlier projects.

Oyeleye disclosed that one of the key proposals on the table is the creation of a joint body dedicated solely to supervising development along the coastal corridor, ensuring that states do not work in isolation or pursue conflicting interests.

In a technical presentation, Olawale Opayinka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Makaya Consult, projected that if properly managed, development along the corridor could raise Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product from under $400bn today to between $1.4tn and $14tn over the next 50 years.

Opayinka said the highway offers about 700 square kilometres of developable land, with potential for new cities, logistics hubs, industrial parks and tourism destinations. However, he warned that the projected values depend on strict land governance, preservation of the corridor’s integrity and close cooperation among all coastal states.

Director-General of the BRACED Commission, Joe Keshi, backed the call for coordinated planning, citing global examples where well-designed coastal roads became anchors for long-term prosperity. He cautioned that without discipline and political will, the Lagos-Calabar project could degenerate into the kind of haphazard roadside development seen elsewhere in the country.

Commissioners and senior officials from Lagos, Ogun and Ondo, as well as investment and infrastructure experts, stressed the need for clear zoning rules, security frameworks and robust governance structures. They agreed that synergy between states, the Federal Government and key agencies will determine whether the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway becomes a genuine economic game changer or a missed opportunity.