Nigeria’s works minister says the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway could be abandoned if the president fails to secure a second term in 2027.
Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not be completed if President Bola Tinubu loses the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, arguing that the completion of the 750-kilometre project depends on continuity in government.
“If President Tinubu does not come back in 2027, God forbid, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be gone,” he said.
The minister described the highway as one of Tinubu’s flagship infrastructure projects and maintained that the current administration’s return to power was crucial to delivering it.
The project is intended to link coastal communities across southern Nigeria, improving transport connections and supporting economic activities along the route.
Umahi defends highway amid controversy
Umahi also rejected suggestions that the Federal Government had abandoned the coastal highway in favour of the East-West Road.
He said the original 750-kilometre highway remained part of the government’s plans, adding that an additional 400-kilometre section of the East-West Road, stretching from Edo to Cross River states, had been approved for reconstruction.
According to the minister, the additional work is intended to improve connectivity rather than replace the coastal highway.
He attributed adjustments to the proposed route to difficult terrain in parts of Ondo State, where he said construction teams had encountered deep pits and a shortage of suitable sand at certain depths.
The highway’s alignment has been the subject of public debate following earlier comments about connecting sections of the project to the existing East-West Road.
Umahi has maintained that the coastal highway remains intact, describing the proposed connection as an additional route intended to improve access for motorists.
Questions over project continuity
The minister’s warning raises questions about the future of major infrastructure projects when administrations change, particularly those requiring substantial funding and several years of construction.
It also places the coastal highway at the centre of the political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Umahi linking its completion to Tinubu’s re-election.
The project is among the Federal Government’s most ambitious road infrastructure initiatives, but it has also attracted scrutiny over its cost, procurement process, environmental implications and execution.
Umahi has previously defended the government’s approach to procurement, arguing that the process used for the highway was lawful.
The minister has projected that the highway could be completed within approximately three years, although the delivery of the entire route will depend on construction progress and the completion of its various sections.
Neither the reported warning nor the minister’s position establishes that the project would automatically be cancelled under a successor administration. Its eventual fate would depend on future government decisions, funding arrangements and implementation plans.
