Hitech launches social support programme for affected Lagos-Calabar Highway communities

Onome Amuge

Hitech Construction,  a leading building & civil engineering contractor in Nigeria, has officially launched its Social Impact and Livelihood Restoration Initiatives for Project-Affected Communities (PACs) along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (LCCH).

The initiative is aimed at providing support and compensation for communities directly impacted by the LCCH project, covering communities from Oniru to Eleko in the project’s first section.

The federal government began construction on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project in March 2024, with  reports  estimating that more than 750 households would be impacted by the construction.

According to Hitech, the first phase of its initiative will commence with a vocational skills training programme, designed to equip individuals with technical and creative skills tailored to their interests, local economic demands, and emerging opportunities. 

The construction firm further noted that the training will ensure that selected persons from vulnerable groups that are ineligible for compensation, will be able to gain practical knowledge to secure sustainable livelihoods both during and after the project.

Speaking on the initiative at the Eti-Osa Skills Training Centre in Lagos, David Omaghomi, community relations manager & coordinator of the Grievance Redress Committee for Hitech Construction on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to global best practices in social responsibility and stakeholder engagement.

He noted that beyond compensation handled by the federal government, the firm has taken proactive steps to ensure that vulnerable groups and those not eligible for compensation are not left behind. 

“Hitech is a global branch, we are not just constructing great infrastructure projects.  As part of our corporate social responsibility and sustainable development goals, we are supporting projects or initiatives that lift up communities around our project sites. We also ensure that the social impact of the project is felt and there is long term sustainability. So it’s part of our positioning to be a leader in the construction space society, environmental, social and governance (ESG) as high parts of our operational strategy,” he stated.

Beyond vocational training, Hitech stated that it is committed to empowering local communities through various methods including: Providing socio-economic opportunities throughout the project lifecycle, infrastructure rehabilitation in affected areas, supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs to drive community development, and fostering environmental sustainability in line with ESIA best practices.

Hitech is also ensuring that only accredited partners deliver these programmes, guaranteeing high-quality training and real economic opportunities for beneficiaries.

 “This is just the beginning,” Omaghomi emphasized. “We are committed to following through, tracking impact, and sharing success stories as the road project nears completion.”

Commenting on the initiative, Saheed Bankole, the executive chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government, said the government was taking leverage from the initiative.

In his remarks, Saheed Bankole, the executive chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government, commended Hitech Construction for its initiative, stating the local government is leveraging on the opportunity to empower individuals who might otherwise have been left behind in the project.

Bankole, represented by Kadiri Samuel, said: “We can say that as part of their corporate social responsibility, we are benefiting greatly from them because it would impact lives. Therefore, there will be changes in our community and society at large.

“There could be low turnout, but we do believe that more young people and the aged interested in joining would join because we will start sensitising them on the benefits of this initiative. We will get the grassroots government to pass across the information.”

The chairman further stated that the programme is expected to have a positive impact on community youths, steering them away from social vices and toward productive, income-generating activities.