According to Minister of Works David Umahi, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would not be finished if President Bola Tinubu is unable to win a second term in 2027
In an exclusive interview with Arise Television on Friday, Umahi revealed this.
He claims that only President Tinubu’s return can ensure the completion of the project and other legacy roads throughout the nation, and that the 750-kilometre road is a personal effort of Tinubu that requires continuity to be completely delivered.
Additionally, the former governor of Ebonyi State denied rumours that the East-West Road had replaced the coastal highway.
“If President Tinubu does not come back in 2027 (God forbid), the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be gone.
“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,” he said.
ALSO READ: Duke Dismisses N15 Trillion Coastal Highway As Swamp Project
The Minister explained that President Tinubu has approved an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road from Edo State to Cross River State to be reconstructed alongside the coastal highway.
He said the President directed that the coastal highway should pass through the existing East-West Road corridor instead of opening new alignments.
He blamed the diversion on the difficult terrain in Ondo State, where he said construction pits are over 100 metres deep and sharp sand is not available up to 300 metres.
In August, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Former Cross River State Governor, and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Donald Duke has taken a swipe at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, dismissing the 15 trillion naira project as an impractical “swamp” that can be completed in the life of the Tinubu administration.
Duke said the project will require “100 to 200 bridges” to traverse and argued the funds would be better spent on electricity and healthcare.
The former Cross River State governor, who was a guest on Arise TV said the project, recently renamed after President Bola Tinubu, has been dogged by controversy since its commencement in March 2024, with critics pointing to its astronomical cost, opaque procurement process, and questionable environmental and social impact.
