Umahi defends Lagos-Calabar highway amid land-grabbing claims, eyes 2029 completion

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has pushed back against accusations that the federal government is seizing land to build the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing such claims as politically motivated. The dismissal came in response to former Cross River State governor Donald Duke, who had characterized the 750-kilometre infrastructure project as a land-grabbing exercise.

Umahi told Arise Television on Friday that political considerations, rather than legitimate concerns, drive much of the opposition to the initiative. The minister projected that the coastal highway will be finished within three years, placing completion around 2029, before the conclusion of President Bola Tinubu's potential second term in 2031.

He defended the federal government's choice to pursue major flagship projects despite ongoing maintenance issues affecting existing federal roads across the country. Umahi also addressed comparisons between the coastal highway and the East-West Road, denying reports that the project had been shelved in favour of the competing route.

In remarks that underscored the project's political dimensions, Umahi stated that the coastal highway will remain unfinished if Tinubu does not win re-election in 2027. He described the initiative as a personal undertaking by the president that requires sustained commitment across administrations to reach completion.

The minister stressed that continuity in political leadership is essential for delivering the road within the projected timeframe. Umahi defended the procurement methodology employed for the project, which has drawn scrutiny from some quarters.

The coastal highway represents a major infrastructure commitment spanning the country's southern coast and remains a significant element of the administration's infrastructure agenda. The project's timeline places its final delivery before the end of the anticipated second presidential term.