Every second brings Nigerians closer to exercising their democratic right and shaping the future of our nation.
Exercise your democratic right responsibly, peacefully and lawfully.
Nigeria’s 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being developed through separate engineering plans rather than a single comprehensive design, Minister of Works David Umahi has disclosed, raising fresh questions about the planning and overall cost of the multibillion-naira project.
Umahi made the revelation during an interview on Arise Television, explaining that the Federal Government was handling the highway in sections, with individual designs and cost estimates prepared according to the technical requirements of each stretch.
According to the minister, a review of available records at the Ministry of Works did not reveal a complete engineering blueprint or comprehensive soil investigation covering the entire coastal route. He noted that although the highway had been conceived decades ago, detailed technical planning was being undertaken as the project progressed.
He explained that the construction process requires engineers to assess the soil, environmental conditions and physical features of each section before determining the appropriate design and financial requirements.
Umahi also rejected the practice of calculating the highway’s total cost by multiplying an estimated average price per kilometre by the entire 750-kilometre distance. He argued that such calculations would not account for variations in terrain, bridges and other complex engineering structures along the route.
To support his explanation of the project’s cost, the minister cited a comparison with a coastal road in neighbouring Benin Republic. He said a standard two-lane carriageway on the Nigerian project could cost approximately $5.5 million, equivalent to about ₦7.3 billion per kilometre.
The minister further disclosed that the procurement arrangement approved by the Federal Executive Council provides for the project to be handled in separate sections. He maintained that the cost of each portion should be assessed according to its specific design and construction requirements.
On environmental compliance, Umahi said the government initially obtained provisional Environmental and Social Impact Assessment approval before construction commenced. He explained that environmental assessments and related requirements were being addressed on a section-by-section basis, adding that final approval had been secured for the first 47-kilometre stretch.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which commenced in March 2024, is one of President Bola Tinubu’s flagship infrastructure projects. However, its estimated cost, procurement process, environmental implications and construction arrangements have continued to attract public scrutiny as work advances along Nigeria’s southern coastline.
