Former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke has criticised the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, arguing that Nigeria cannot afford the multi-billion-naira infrastructure and questioning its necessity.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday, August 4, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate said he does not believe the highway will be completed beyond Epe.
“Nigeria cannot afford the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. I don’t think the road will go beyond Epe,” Duke said.
He also questioned the purpose of the project, claiming that his observations suggested extensive land reclamation rather than road construction.
“I think the road serves other purposes because I drove once on the road, and all I saw was land reclamation and all that.”
Duke argued that constructing a new coastal highway was unnecessary since an existing road already connects Lagos and Calabar.
“There is already a road from Lagos to Calabar. I’ve driven from Lagos to Calabar several times. If the road is poor, fix it,” he said.
According to the former governor, the funds allocated to the project would be better invested in addressing more pressing national needs.
“There are some expenditures we make that do not reflect the realities of our circumstances.
“The amount spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity or upgrading the healthcare system,” he added.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship infrastructure projects and has generated public debate, with supporters describing it as a transformative economic corridor while critics have questioned its cost, priorities and implementation.