Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project could be jeopardised if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure a second term in the 2027 general election.
Umahi made the remarks on Friday, October 23, during an interview on Arise Television, describing the coastal highway as a major infrastructure initiative of the Tinubu administration that requires continuity to ensure its completion.
“If President Tinubu does not come back in 2027, God forbid, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be gone,” the minister said, insisting that the project was already underway and its overall design remained intact.
The former Ebonyi State governor also dismissed reports that the Federal Government had abandoned the coastal highway in favour of the East-West Road. He explained that the President had approved an additional 400-kilometre reconstruction of the East-West Road, stretching from Edo State towards Cross River State, to improve connectivity and address flooding challenges along the route.
Umahi attributed adjustments to parts of the highway’s alignment to difficult terrain in Ondo State, where he said construction teams encountered pits exceeding 100 metres deep and a lack of sharp sand at depths of up to 300 metres.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects, intended to connect coastal states and improve transportation and economic activities along Nigeria’s coastline. The project has, however, faced public scrutiny over its route, cost, contract award and potential impact on coastal communities.
Umahi maintained that construction and design activities were continuing, while stressing the importance of administrative continuity in delivering the project.
