Bricks Without Bread? Youth Reflection On Nigeria's Highway to Progress. By Eze Anthony

On Friday, May 31, 2025, President Bola Tinubu stood before flashing cameras and applauding dignitaries as he commissioned eleven major road projects across Nigeria—among them, the much-anticipated Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Applause echoed, ribbon-cutting ceremonies sparkled with national pride, and government officials hailed a new era of infrastructure-driven development.

Yet, just a few miles away, a final-year student waited in a crowded cybercafé, refreshing the browser, praying the internet wouldn’t crash before she could upload another job application. The power had flickered twice already. Outside, okada riders dodged potholes beside freshly painted road signs.

"A young Nigerian job seeker navigates the digital world in a local cybercafé—highlighting the resilience amidst infrastructural challenges." 

 Paving Over Problems?

Nigeria’s roads are getting smoother, but for many young people, life remains full of bumps. Unemployment still haunts graduates. Public schools struggle with broken desks and outdated curriculums. Rural communities—some connected by these new roads—are still waiting for basic health care and electricity.

In Abuja, a completed bypass may ease traffic, but does it ease the frustration of a 25-year-old graduate who’s been submitting CVs for two years with no reply?

In Port Harcourt, where part of the coastal highway begins, vendors and artisans watch construction trucks roll by—but still wait for clean water and functioning clinics.

Infrastructure is important. But so is balance. A nation building roads while neglecting minds is building progress on a fragile foundation.

 

    "For many Nigerians, the debate on infrastructure feels distant — yet it touches their lives in unseen ways." 

Voices from the Ground

While government officials celebrate grand openings, many young Nigerians are still asking tough questions—not in press conferences, but in bus queues, classrooms, and crowded hostels.

“I passed that new highway yesterday,” says Chinedu, a 23-year-old who studied civil engineering but now sells phone accessories in Onitsha. “It’s beautiful, but I wish I could be part of the team building it instead of watching from the sidelines.”

Blessing, a student in Calabar, puts it simply:

“The road might help people travel faster, but it doesn’t change the fact that my school hasn’t had electricity for weeks.”

And in Lagos, Ibrahim, a recent graduate, adds:

“I’m not against development. But where’s the plan to train young people for the future these roads are supposed to lead us to?”

These aren’t angry voices—they’re hopeful ones. Hopeful that development will mean more than bridges and concrete. Hopeful that new highways will not just connect cities, but connect people to better lives.

Opportunities on the Road

While criticisms of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway echo across campuses, kiosks, and commuter buses, it’s also true that infrastructure projects of this scale offer windows of opportunity — if managed with foresight.

For starters, construction itself can create short-term employment, especially for artisans, engineers, and small-scale vendors supplying materials or food. For every stretch of asphalt laid, there’s a ripple effect of economic activity in nearby towns. Local transport operators often benefit from improved road conditions, leading to faster routes and higher passenger volumes.

But the bigger promise lies beyond concrete.

With proper policy alignment, the coastal highway could open up long-neglected regions for trade, tourism, and investment. Young entrepreneurs could benefit from easier access to markets, while digital startups — often stifled by connectivity and movement challenges — may find new territories to explore and expand into.

The road, in itself, is neutral. But how we plan around it, include our youth in it, and build systems beside it will determine whether it becomes just another political ribbon-cutting moment or a true pathway to inclusive growth.

 What the Youth Really Want

Beyond roads and ribbon-cuttings, Nigerian youth are asking for something deeper: inclusion.

They want to be seen, heard, and engaged. Not as bystanders to development, but as partners in progress. They seek access to skills, digital tools, and funding — the things that make roads lead somewhere personal.

They’re not anti-development. They’re asking for development that makes sense for their generation.

 The Road Ahead

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may yet become a symbol of national transformation. But it will only carry true meaning if it leads to real change — in classrooms, in careers, and in communities.

Let it not just connect cities. Let it connect government with citizens, and ambition with action.

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