The Minister for Works, David Umahi says the Federal Government chose Hitech Construction Company for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway because of its experience in concrete paving and its successful bid for subsequent project sections.
He stated this during an inspection tour of the highway project in Lagos over the weekend.
Umahi noted that Hitech was chosen after a thorough bidding for Section 1 of the project due to its expertise in concrete paving, a method the government insisted on using, especially in areas with a high water table, adding that Hitech had previously handled the reconstruction of the Oworonshoki-Apapa Road, which demonstrated its capability in concrete road construction.
The Minister explained that Nigerian law allows for three types of bidding: restrictive procurement, selective/competitive bidding, and open bidding, stating that the Federal Government initially was looking for companies with at least five concrete pavers—a requirement that limited the number of eligible contractors:
“When we started this project, we asked for companies that have up to five concrete pavers. You will agree with me that until we started this, the concrete paver was not as common in Nigeria as it is today. We had to look for a company that had done this kind of project before, and that is Hitech.” Umahi said.
He emphasized that due process was followed in the award of the contract for the project.
In August 2024, Doherty sued the Federal Government, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), and Hitech, observing that the contract violated the Public Procurement Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act, he also stated that the project was not subjected to open bidding and that construction began without a proper EIA.
His lawsuit seeks the cancellation of the contract to Hitech Construction Company and institute an open bidding for the remaining sections of the highway.
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