Umahi meets Tinubu, speaks on latest controversy around Lagos-Calabar highway

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed reports that the federal government is abandoning the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in favour of the East-West Road, insisting the coastal project remains intact. In contrast, the government plans to reconstruct an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road.

Mr Umahi spoke on Monday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, describing reports that the coastal highway had been abandoned as “mischievous”.

He said construction was progressing on several sections of the coastal highway, including stretches in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Ondo states. Meanwhile, surveyors and designers worked on the remaining sections through Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.

“The Lagos-Calabar highway is moving even faster than envisaged,” Mr Umahi said, adding that the project’s original alignment could not be changed because construction was already ongoing.

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

The minister’s clarification followed reports that Mr Tinubu directed the coastal highway to pass through the existing East-West Road from Ondo into Edo State, rather than follow an entirely new alignment along that stretch.

In a report published on Monday, Mr Umahi was quoted as saying the president directed the government to use the existing road instead of constructing a new alignment.

The apparent distinction between preserving the overall coastal highway project and changing the route through which part of it would pass has become central to the controversy.

Why East-West Road is being added

Mr Umahi said the East-West Road, which connects communities and economic centres across the Niger Delta, was built below anticipated flood levels and was damaged during recent flooding.

He cited sections around Ughelli in Delta State, where parts of the road were reportedly cut in several places about three weeks earlier, and similar problems in Edo State.

He credited Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori with intervening during the flooding. He said the federal government intended to raise vulnerable portions of the road to address present and anticipated flood levels.

The minister said the reconstruction would extend beyond the portion of the coastal highway already procured between Calabar and Akwa Ibom, providing an additional route through the Niger Delta.

The government has not disclosed the full cost of the additional 400-kilometre project, its financing arrangements, or how it will be integrated financially and contractually with the coastal highway.

Progress on the coastal highway

Giving an update on construction, Mr Umahi said Section One in Lagos was complete, while Section Two was expected to be ready by mid-November.

He said work was ongoing on Sections 3A and 3B in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, with more than 40 per cent of the work completed. Sections 4A and 4B, covering the Ogun and Ondo axis, were also under construction, he said.

The minister said Section Five, a 62.5-kilometre stretch in Akwa Ibom State, had recorded more than 20 per cent progress despite being less than three months old.

He added that surveyors and designers were working along the remaining corridor through Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states.

PREMIUM TIMES has not independently verified the minister’s figures.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the major infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration. It is designed to link Lagos with Calabar, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states before terminating in Cross River State.

The government has presented the project as a major transport and economic corridor intended to improve connectivity and stimulate economic activity along Nigeria’s coastline.

Renewed alarm over route changes

The minister’s explanation follows fresh concerns about changes to the project’s route, particularly in Ondo State.

On Sunday, the Ilaje Omuro Community Connect, a group representing people of Ilaje origin, called on the federal government to investigate the reported diversion of the highway away from coastal communities in Ilaje Local Government Area.

According to a report by TheCable, the group demanded an independent engineering assessment, a public explanation of the decision and an audit of its financial implications.

READ ALSO: FG has no regrets over Lagos-Calabar coastal highway decisions – Umahi

Mr Umahi has defended the Ondo route change, saying the original alignment presented difficult engineering conditions and would have required extensive filling. He said the redesign was intended to avoid the difficult terrain and reduce construction challenges.

Since its inception, the coastal highway project has sparked fierce criticism over its contract award, overall cost, property demolitions, compensation payouts, and environmental impact.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in April 2025 that the Federal High Court in Lagos declined jurisdiction over a suit challenging the project and transferred it to the Lagos State High Court. The suit involved property owners who alleged that the route encroached on their land.

The project also attracted criticism in 2024 over the federal government’s decision to award the initial contract to Hitech Construction Company without an open competitive tender. The government defended the award, citing the contractor’s capacity and experience.

Atiku demands disclosure of contract records

The latest dispute has also renewed calls for transparency over the project’s financing and contractual arrangements.

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, asked the federal government on Monday to publish the coastal highway’s contract documents, payment records, route maps, bills of quantities and any proposed borrowing arrangements related to the project.

In a statement reported by TheCable, Atiku said the reported route changes raised questions about the original contract, payments already made and the financial implications of the revised alignment. He also called for a public hearing before the National Assembly considers any additional financing.

Mr Umahi maintained that the coastal highway would continue as planned, saying the additional road projects would not displace the original 750-kilometre corridor.

“The 750km Coastal Highway is intact and cannot be changed,” he said.