Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway
Figures below refer to 26 May 2025 unless stated otherwise.
The claim
The 700 km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is the administration's flagship road project and its most contested one.
Figures
700 km, total cost $11–12.5bn (roughly ₦14–15.6tn at 2024 rates), which Minister Umahi put at ₦7.5bn per km. Contractor: Hitech Construction Company Ltd. Phase 1 is 47.47 km, construction began March 2024. Section 1, covering 30 km from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Junction, was commissioned on 26 May 2025.
The counter-argument
Documented criticisms: the contract was awarded without competitive bidding to a firm with presidential connections; the May 2025 commissioning celebrated roughly 4.3% completion; demolitions removed homes and businesses including part of Landmark Leisure Beach, whose owner said 'what we built in six years was demolished in six hours'; and reports indicate required environmental assessments were not conducted despite the route crossing Niger Delta swamp forest and wetlands.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highwayen.wikipedia.org
- Leadership — ₦7.5bn per km, Umahileadership.ng