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The National Youth Wing of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the proposed realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, warning that the decision could fuel discontent across the Niger Delta ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City, Edo State, PANDEF National Youth Leader, DonBen Donyegha, criticised the plan to redirect sections of the 750-kilometre highway inland through Ondo State to connect with the existing East-West Road. He argued that the proposed change departs from the project’s original objective of linking coastal communities between Lagos and Calabar.
The group expressed concern that communities in the oil-producing Niger Delta could lose the infrastructure benefits they expected from the coastal route. It maintained that these areas have endured years of environmental pollution, gas flaring and inadequate development despite their contributions to Nigeria’s economy.
PANDEF is demanding the cancellation of the proposed diversion and a return to the original coastal alignment. It also called for transparent consultations involving affected communities, state governments and regional stakeholders, alongside clear assurances that all communities originally expected to benefit from the project would still receive appropriate road connections.
The youth organisation warned that proceeding without addressing these concerns could intensify feelings of marginalisation, potentially affecting peace and security in the region and creating political consequences for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 elections. It urged the President to intervene and resolve the dispute, while expressing its willingness to engage in dialogue with the Federal Government.
