Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Has Gone Beyond Epe, Umahi Tells Critics
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has dismissed concerns over the progress of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying construction has already advanced beyond Epe and is progressing simultaneously across several states.
Umahi made the clarification on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, while inspecting Section 4B of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State.
The Minister was responding to an earlier opinion by former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, that the flagship coastal highway project might not progress beyond Epe.
According to Umahi, ongoing construction across the corridor has demonstrated that the project is firmly on course.
So the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is already on sail. And then so we have sailed past Lagos that my brother Donald Duke talked about,” he said.
The Minister said work is currently progressing in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, with several sections recording substantial progress.
He disclosed that about 28 kilometres of the project is under construction in Ogun State, while 52 kilometres is progressing in Ondo State. He also said 27 kilometres is under construction in Calabar, with the first section in Akwa Ibom covering about 47 kilometres and recording more than 60 per cent completion.
According to him, the longest section of the coastal highway, covering about 180 kilometres in Akwa Ibom, is also under construction.
Umahi said the project is already generating employment and creating economic opportunities for communities along the corridor.
“Roads are a source of employment. We’ve counted over one thousand people within this section employed by HITECH,” he said, adding that the project was creating both direct and indirect jobs.
He also linked the construction to improved security, noting that the presence of workers, security personnel and local vigilante groups along the corridor was helping to strengthen security in surrounding communities.
Beyond transportation, the Minister said the highway would open up new opportunities for commerce, agriculture and education by connecting communities and creating access to previously underserved areas.
Umahi urged Nigerians who have concerns about the project to offer constructive criticism and practical alternatives.
“So if you want to criticise us, I’ve said it, criticise us constructively and offer alternatives,” he said.
Why the Coastal Highway Alignment Was Changed
The Minister also addressed concerns over the realignment of the highway, particularly allegations that the route was changed to benefit private estates.
Umahi explained that the decision was based on engineering and economic considerations, rather than private interests.
He said the original coastal alignment encountered soil deposits reaching depths of about 50 metres, making construction technically challenging and significantly more expensive.
He added that the original route would have required the construction of bridges across three major ocean channels, each measuring approximately 3.5 kilometres.
According to him, the revised alignment was therefore adopted in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to minimise crossings over large bodies of water while ensuring that the project remained technically feasible and financially sustainable.
This is because the President wants the Ministry of Works, as much as possible, to see how we minimise large ocean body waters and rivers. So we have to navigate it in compliance with the directive of the President that this must be realised, Umahi explained.
*Umahi Defends Project’s Value*
The Works Minister described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as one of the most prudent infrastructure projects undertaken in Nigeria, citing the response from international financiers to the project.
He said representatives of Deutsche Bank who examined the first section found the construction and design to be sound, while also observing that the procurement cost had been undervalued.
Umahi said the project subsequently attracted bids exceeding the available funding by about $100 million.
He also commended HITECH Construction Company for the quality of its work and its relationship with host communities.
“We commend very highly the doggedness of HITECH, the partnership of HITECH, the good spirit, the good work, and the community friendliness. It doesn’t matter what anybody with envy and jealousy says, you are our partners,” he said.
*Tinubu Will Complete Coastal Highway, Umahi Says*
Umahi expressed confidence that President Tinubu would deliver the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing the project as a major component of the administration’s infrastructure agenda.
According to the words of President Bola Tinubu, he said this project will be done. With God on his side, it will be done, he said.
He called on people of the Niger Delta to support the project, arguing that the highway would play a significant role in unlocking the economic potential of the region.
Umahi said the Federal Government’s broader infrastructure programme was designed to provide long-term benefits to Nigerians.
And under President Bola Tinubu, this country shall be rebuilt. Every one of these roads that he’s constructing, for the next hundred years, maintenance-free, we will not reconstruct it, he said.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major ongoing road infrastructure projects, designed to connect communities and economic centres along Nigeria’s coastline from Lagos to Calabar.
