Umahi insists coastal highway intact amid realignment controversy

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Monday dismissed reports that the Federal Government had abandoned the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in favour of the East-West Road.

Nigerians had taken to social media on Monday to criticise Umahi over his recent statements on the coastal highway, which they said suggested a realignment contrary to the initial project plan.

Among others, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, legal practitioners Chidi Odinkalu and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, and House of Representatives candidate in Ondo State, Niyi Akingunola, had demanded that the Federal Government be transparent about the alleged realignment.

Umahi spoke to State House correspondents on Monday after meeting President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. He described the claims that the coastal project had been abandoned as “mischievous”.

The minister explained that the planned addition of 400 kilometres of the East-West Road to the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme was a complementary project and would not replace any part of the coastal highway.

He said the original alignment of the coastal highway remained intact, adding that construction was ongoing on several sections simultaneously.

Umahi said the decision to incorporate the East-West Road into the wider plan was driven by the need to improve regional connectivity, protect existing infrastructure from flooding and boost investment in the Niger Delta.

According to him, “What we have done is to also seek the approval of Mr President to add the 400 kilometres of the East-West Road, starting from Edo State down to Akwa Ibom, and also to Cross River.”

He noted that although parts of the coastal highway had been procured in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, the East-West Road extended beyond those sections, making its integration necessary for wider regional development.

The minister said some sections of the East-West Road had been built below flood levels. About three weeks ago, he recalled, parts of the road around Agbarho, in the Ughelli axis of Delta State, were badly damaged, forcing the state government to intervene.

He said Edo State had faced similar problems, strengthening the case for a comprehensive intervention along the 400-kilometre corridor.

Umahi said work on the East-West Road would not interfere with the coastal highway’s alignment.

He said survey and engineering work was ongoing in states where major construction had not started.

“So nobody has abandoned the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

“In fact, as we are talking now, we have surveyors. We are surveying the axis of Edo State, we are surveying the axis of Delta State, we are surveying the axis of Bayelsa, and then Rivers, and that will be the end of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” he said.

He added, “So the 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed, and nobody has the powers to change it, because it’s already designed and it’s ongoing.”

Umahi, who was accompanied by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Mr Toyin Zubair, was responding to social media discussions suggesting that the Federal Government had shifted its focus to the East-West Road.

He said, “My attention was drawn this afternoon by social media that we had abandoned the alignment of 750 kilometres of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in favour of an alignment of the East-West Road. That is very mischievous information.

“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is moving and moving even faster than envisaged.”

The minister said Section One, covering 47.7 kilometres in Lagos State, had been fully constructed, while Section Two, covering 55 kilometres, would be ready by the middle of November.

He said work was progressing on Sections 3A and 3B, covering 75 kilometres across Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, with construction more than 40 per cent complete.

“Sections 4A and 4B, covering about 65 kilometres between Ogun and Ondo states, are also under construction,” he stated.

He added, “The alignment from the Lagos end has advanced into Ondo State.”

Umahi said work was also progressing from the Calabar end, in line with Tinubu’s directive that the administration’s four legacy road projects should begin simultaneously from both ends.

“Another section in Akwa Ibom State, measuring 62.5 kilometres, has passed 20 per cent completion, though construction began less than three months ago,” he added.

Umahi also said Tinubu had approved an expansion of another legacy project connecting Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Biu and Maiduguri.

“The original 700-kilometre project has been expanded by 410 kilometres through Langtang and Wukari, bringing the total planned length to about 1,100 kilometres,” he added.

He disclosed that the expansion followed the administration’s plan to extend major highway corridors to link communities and stimulate economic activity.

Earlier on Monday, Atiku called on the National Assembly to investigate an alleged plan by the Federal Government to secure a $20bn loan reportedly linked to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, raising concerns about the project’s revised route, contract payments and the government’s borrowing plans.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Phrank Shaibu, Atiku alleged that some lawmakers were being pressured with threats to withhold election campaign funds unless they approved the anticipated loan request.

He urged the Federal Government to publish all relevant contract documents, payment records and proposed borrowing terms, insisting that Nigerians deserved full disclosure before any further financing for the highway was approved.

His demands followed reports of changes to sections of the coastal highway’s route, which he said had raised questions about the original project design, the cost of the revised alignment and payments already made to the contractor.

Atiku asked whether the government had adequately assessed the engineering and environmental challenges along the original route before awarding the contract.

“Tinubu sold Nigerians a coastal highway. Now his minister says parts of it will follow an existing road inland. That is not a minor adjustment to a drawing. It strikes at the promise used to sell this enormous project,” he said.

“When the route changes, the price must be opened. When the work changes, the payments must be explained,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate challenged Umahi to release the original feasibility studies, revised engineering designs and other technical documents relating to the project.

He also asked the government to explain how much had been paid for sections that might no longer be constructed along the original alignment and whether the changes would affect the contract sum.

“What kind of government boasts about a coastal highway before it can defend the route? Did Tinubu’s team study the swamps, bridges and flood risks before awarding the contract, or did it sign first and start thinking later?” he asked.

The former vice-president’s most serious allegation concerned a proposed loan of up to $20bn, which he claimed could be presented to the National Assembly to finance payments associated with the coastal highway and Hitech Construction Company, the contractor handling the project.

Atiku, however, did not provide documentary evidence of the alleged loan proposal or the reported connection between the proposed borrowing and the contractor in the statement.

He challenged the President Tinubu-led government to clarify whether such a request was being prepared and, if so, identify the projects and certified work it would finance.

“Is a US$20bn request being prepared for the National Assembly? Is any part of that money meant for Hitech? What contract, what section of road and what certified work would justify the payment?” he asked.

“Do not hide a contractor’s bill inside a national borrowing request. Publish the proposed loan, the contract it would finance and the record of what has already been paid. If no such request exists, say so plainly and on the record,” he added.

Atiku also alleged that some lawmakers had been warned that funds for their election campaigns would be withheld unless they approved the anticipated loan request.

He called on the leadership of the National Assembly to investigate the allegation and ensure that lawmakers had access to the proposed loan terms, project accounts and relevant contract documents before taking a decision.

“We are informed that some lawmakers have been warned that funds for their election campaigns will be withheld unless they pass this request with the speed of light. Who is making that threat? Whose money is being promised or withheld? And why should any legislator’s campaign depend on voting to put Nigerians in debt?” he asked.

He urged lawmakers facing such threats to make their allegations public and called for a public hearing before the legislature considered further financing for the project.

The former vice-president further demanded the release of the original feasibility and environmental studies, route maps, Bills of Quantities, contract variations, Bureau of Public Procurement approvals, payment certificates and all borrowing proposals connected to the highway.

Atiku argued that changes to major infrastructure projects must be accompanied by a transparent account of their financial implications, warning that failure to disclose contract variations and payments could expose public funds to abuse.

He also linked the controversy to the broader debate over the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and its impact on household incomes and the cost of living.

“Announce a plan. Change it without a full accounting. Then present the public with a bigger bill. When capital spending is hidden from scrutiny, corruption has room to grow and the people suffer more,” he added.

Atiku promised that an administration led by him would subject capital projects to transparent budgeting, independent audits and public accountability for changes in project scope and cost.

“Nigerians are not against roads. They are against secret bills for changing plans. Tinubu must show the route, show the accounts and show the loan request,” he said.

He concluded by demanding greater transparency in the execution of the coastal highway project and called on Nigerians to hold the government accountable for its spending and borrowing decisions.

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On his part, Odinkalu, a human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, accused the Federal Government of using the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project to generate funds for political activities ahead of elections.

Odinkalu made the allegation during an interview posted on his X handle on Monday.

Umahi had said Tinubu approved the realignment to address persistent flooding, accommodate the effects of climate change and improve connectivity between Delta and Edo states.

The minister described the decision as a permanent solution to challenges along the affected corridor, explaining that sections of the existing road would be raised above current flood levels.

He said, “The permanent solution is the decision of Mr President to now align the continuation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through the existing East-West Road. And that’s very beautiful because we now have to retrace the East-West Road in many locations back to meters, so that we will be above the present flood level, and then also expect extensive climate change.”

Umahi added that poor connectivity between the two states could affect their economies, particularly when flooding disrupted transportation.

“If these axes are not connected, the economy of Delta State and the economy of Edo State can be affected,” he said.

He also highlighted the 45-kilometre Benin bypass as part of the government’s efforts to address the challenges of routing traffic through the city’s urban centre.

However, Odinkalu questioned the rationale for the coastal highway project, arguing that the government should prioritise completing the East-West Road, which he said had remained unfinished for more than 25 years.

“If you are looking at doing government and doing governance properly, what do you do? The easiest thing to do is to finish the East-West Road and ensure its completion,” he said.

The legal scholar argued that the government could award contracts for the completion of the existing highway instead of embarking on a new coastal road project.

“Taking on a new so-called Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road does not make sense. It cannot make sense to anyone except in the framework of extracting money in order to create a political partisan war chest for all manner of things to be done around elections,” Odinkalu said.

He alleged that the administration was seeking to move funds through individuals it trusted to hold the money ahead of elections.

“The fact of the matter is the regime is looking to make money, shift some money through people or to people whom it trusts to hold the money ahead of an election season,” he said.

Odinkalu also questioned the environmental assessment process for the coastal highway, describing the Atlantic coastline as a fragile ecological zone that required thorough assessment before construction.

“You don’t wake up overnight and do Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road with no Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and then walk your way back to a pro forma report after it’s brought to you, because that’s a very delicate, fragile ecological territory,” he said.

He further questioned the rationale behind other proposed coastal road projects, including the Badagry Coastal Road, arguing that the government should explain the need for new infrastructure projects while existing roads remained in poor condition.

Odinkalu also alleged that the government exercised influence over the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission, questioning why the administration would be concerned about elections if it already had such influence.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major Federal Government infrastructure project intended to improve transportation along Nigeria’s coastline.

Umahi has defended the realignment as a measure to address flooding, climate change and connectivity challenges.

Also, Adegboruwa (SAN) urged Tinubu to order an independent review of the reported realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway away from coastal communities in Ondo and Delta states.

Adegboruwa warned that the reported change could undermine the project’s original coastal development objectives and deprive communities of economic opportunities expected from the highway.

In a statement dated October 12, 2026, and addressed to the President, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria called on the Federal Government to ensure that engineering considerations did not exclude coastal communities from the benefits of the infrastructure project.

Adegboruwa noted that the Federal Government had described the highway, at its official flag-off in May 2024, as a 700-kilometre corridor designed to connect coastal states and unlock their economic potential.

He, however, expressed concern that shifting sections of the route inland could limit access to commercial opportunities for communities whose livelihoods depended on fishing, maritime activities, agriculture and tourism.

“For the people of Ilaje and other coastal communities in Ondo State, as well as coastal communities in Delta State, the concern is not merely about where a road passes. It is about whether the promise of national infrastructure will translate into tangible development for the people whose geographical position makes them natural stakeholders in a coastal highway project,” he said.

Adegboruwa described the reported realignment as “nothing short of sabotage”, adding that a project designed as a coastal economic corridor should be assessed by how effectively it connected coastal settlements and stimulated economic activities along the shoreline.

He acknowledged that the Federal Government had cited difficult terrain, weak subsoil conditions, construction costs and flood resilience as considerations in reviewing parts of the route.

However, he stressed that such challenges should lead to a careful assessment of alternative engineering solutions rather than automatically depriving coastal communities of access and development opportunities.

The lawyer also called for a comparative assessment of the original and revised routes, covering construction and maintenance costs, journey times, environmental implications, employment prospects and the distribution of economic benefits among affected states.

According to him, the assessment would help determine whether the proposed changes offered the greatest public benefit or whether alternative designs could preserve coastal connectivity without compromising safety and value for money.

On environmental concerns, Adegboruwa urged the Federal Government to ensure that every proposed alignment was supported by appropriate environmental and social impact assessments, particularly regarding coastal erosion, flooding, wetlands, mangrove ecosystems, fisheries and drainage systems.

He also called for the publication of relevant technical and environmental studies and consultations with affected communities before major changes to the route were finalised.

The SAN warned that bypassing coastal settlements could restrict their ability to attract private investment, develop transport-related businesses and benefit from improved access to markets.

He stressed that the project should promote balanced regional development rather than create disparities in the distribution of infrastructure and economic opportunities.

Adegboruwa asked Tinubu to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to publish a clear explanation of the approved alignment and identify the coastal communities that would be served or bypassed by the highway.

He further urged the President to consider restoring or retaining a viable coastal route through parts of Ondo and Delta states wherever technically, environmentally and economically feasible.

Other recommendations included “stakeholder consultations involving the Federal Government, the two state governments, traditional rulers, community representatives, engineers, environmental experts and investors”.

He also called for complementary access roads and supporting economic infrastructure for communities that could not be directly served by the final alignment.

Adegboruwa said the highway’s success should not be measured solely by construction speed or the number of kilometres completed, but also by its contribution to national integration, regional development, environmental sustainability and the welfare of communities along its corridor.

“I am not asking the Federal Government to disregard legitimate engineering considerations. I am asking that those considerations be weighed transparently against the original objectives of the project and the rights and development aspirations of the affected communities,” he said.

He urged Tinubu to intervene before irreversible decisions were made, insisting that the coastal interests of Ondo and Delta states deserved a fair and evidence-based assessment.

“A coastal highway should create opportunities for coastal communities, not leave them wondering whether the promise of development has passed them by,” Adegboruwa added.

Akingunola, the All Progressives Congress candidate in Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, had said the reported diversion of part of the road was a violation of the country’s Appropriation and Procurement Acts.

In a statement he personally issued on Monday, he called for strict adherence to the original design of the project.

Akingunola said Umahi’s decision to divert the highway away from the Ondo State shoreline midway through the project’s implementation “is a violation of both the Appropriation and Public Procurement Acts, amounting to shifting goalposts in the middle of a game”.

He added, “It is outright illegality for a procuring entity to vary a project’s design and cost in the course of project implementation without recourse to the National Assembly that approved it in the first place.”

He said, “The coastal highway’s original design followed the necessary appropriation and procurement guidelines, leading to the issuance of a certificate of no objection by the BPP and final budget approval by the National Assembly. Any alteration or modification of any kind must, therefore, be done in accordance with all constitutional and regulatory procedures that produced it in the first place.

“The basis for the issuance of a certificate of no objection by the Bureau of Public Procurement for the coastal highway was valid Bills of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation, an Environmental Impact Assessment and a cost estimate. Hence, for Minister David Umahi to come back to query or disown regulatory documents produced solely by himself and without duress is a great disservice to the people of Ondo State and the country at large.

“Before any project modification can be allowed to succeed under any guise, a new Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation, Environmental Impact Assessment and cost estimate must be generated and sent to the BPP for onward transmission to the National Assembly for reappropriation. Anything short of this is, in its entirety, a breach of the Appropriation Act and extant procurement regulations.”

Akingunola listed the benefits of the coastal highway to the economic well-being of the people of Ondo State, including agriculture and food security, tourism and the blue economy, trade, commerce and industrial development, and access to ports and wider markets.

He urged the minister to respect the aspirations of the people of Ondo State by ensuring that their interests were protected at all times and at all levels.

He also called on indigenes of the state and members of the National Assembly representing it to insist on strict adherence to the rule of law by the minister to safeguard their collective interests regarding the coastal highway project.

“Mr Umahi’s newly found excuse that the original route crossed terrain with pits more than 100 metres deep and would have significantly increased construction costs is not an emerging fact but a development that should have been captured in the project’s feasibility studies and other regulatory documents such as BEME and BoQ,” the statement concluded.