Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has launched 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 designed to prevent activities that could threaten 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 is adequately protected.

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

Beyond protecting the physical road, the new monitoring structure 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 system to complement the work of conventional security agencies in protecting the highway.

However, the effectiveness of the initiative will depend largely on sustained coordination among the Coastal Highway Guards, the police, other security agencies, road management authorities and communities located along the coastal corridor.

If properly 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 coastal highway delivers its intended economic and transportation benefits to Nigerians.