The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described President Bola Tinubu’s five-port trade corridor initiative as a bold concept that will accelerate economic growth, boost productivity and spread development across the country.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group said the initiative would create a more conducive environment for investment and unlock opportunities across multiple sectors.
TMSG said the plan to revive the Lagos‒Calabar Coastal Highway was part of a broader strategy to establish a nationwide, integrated trade corridor.
“It is now public knowledge that the coastal highway is part of a network of roads, railways and maritime routes linking major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar,” the group said.
According to TMSG, the network is intended to position Nigeria as a maritime gateway and logistics hub for West and Central Africa.
The group said the Lagos‒Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto‒Badagry Expressway would anchor the initiative from the southern and northern flanks, respectively.
It added that rail corridors linking Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and Maradi would connect the ports to landlocked markets in the Sahel.
“Complemented by the Sokoto‒Badagry Expressway, the long-term objective is to connect Nigeria’s ports with landlocked markets in countries including Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic,” it said.
TMSG also highlighted the proposed Port Harcourt‒Maiduguri rail line, which it said would link eastern maritime gateways with northern Nigeria.
It noted that the Ajaokuta‒Kaduna‒
Kano (AKK) gas project, initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari and being advanced by President Tinubu, would also play an important role in the broader development plan.
The group said the five-port initiative would stimulate local economies, create direct and indirect jobs, and improve national productivity by integrating maritime, rail, road and logistics networks.
“We are convinced that the initiative would trigger investment in sectors including warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, distribution and agro- processing along the corridors,” TMSG said.
The group added that the initiative reflected the President’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy and create a lasting legacy of pro-business development.
It drew parallels with Mr Tinubu’s tenure as Governor of Lagos State, saying his policies helped create a modern and economically vibrant state and paved the way for the Lekki Free Trade Zone, which is now home to major national projects, including the Dangote Refinery and the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
