The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not be completed if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure a second term in the 2027 presidential election.
Umahi made the statement on Friday during an exclusive interview with Arise Television, saying the 750-kilometre highway was a personal initiative of Tinubu and required continuity to ensure its completion.
According to the minister, Tinubu’s return to office would help guarantee the completion of the coastal highway and other major road projects across the country.
“If President Tinubu does not come back in 2027 (God forbid), the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be gone,” Umahi said.
He, however, insisted that the project remained on course and could not be altered.
“The 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed, and nobody has the powers to change it, because it’s already designed and it’s ongoing,” he added.
The former Ebonyi State governor also dismissed reports suggesting that the federal government had abandoned the coastal highway in favour of the East-West Road.
Umahi explained that Tinubu had approved the reconstruction of an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road, extending from Edo State to Cross River State, alongside the coastal highway project.
He said the President had directed that the coastal highway should follow the existing East-West Road corridor rather than create entirely new routes.
The minister attributed the decision to the difficult terrain in Ondo State, explaining that some construction pits were more than 100 metres deep and suitable sharp sand was unavailable within a distance of 300 metres.
Umahi maintained that the coastal highway project was ongoing, while stressing the importance of continuity in delivering the government’s major infrastructure projects.
