Nigeria Deploys Guards to Protect Major Highways from Vandalism

The Nigerian government has launched a security initiative to protect critical infrastructure from theft and illegal occupation. David Umahi, the Minister of Works, deployed the Coastal Highway Guards on August 9, 2026, to secure the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Led by retired Major General Adekunle Shodunke, the initial 40-officer force is tasked with preventing loitering, hawking, and the use of motorcycles or tricycles on the road.

Umahi reported that unpatriotic elements had been stealing construction materials and breaking fences along the coastal route. He further expanded this security strategy on August 11, announcing the deployment of guards to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Superhighway after reports emerged of vandals digging into concrete to remove reinforcement rods. This superhighway project, valued at N752 billion, is expected to be completed by November.

Regarding the Lagos-Calabar project, Umahi reported that Lot 1 is complete and Lot 2 is over 80 percent finished, while work in Calabar and Akwa Ibom has surpassed 30 percent. He appealed to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for additional funding to build service lanes and drainage channels to combat flooding in the first two sections. During a meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Students, Umahi urged students to help monitor federal projects and rely on evidence rather than social media narratives to critique government infrastructure.