Tinubu promised a Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, so why is it suddenly becoming the East–West Road?

• Umahi’s remarks sparked questions about changes to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

• The government says the 750-kilometre coastal highway has not been abandoned.

• The proposed reconstruction of 400 kilometres of the East–West Road is an additional project, according to the ministry.

• Critics want clarity on the revised route, affected communities and project costs.

When President Bola Tinubu announced plans for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the project was presented as a major road linking communities along Nigeria’s coastline.

However, the project has come under fresh scrutiny after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said Tinubu had directed that part of the highway should follow the existing East–West Road rather than require an entirely new alignment.

The statement sparked questions about whether the Federal Government was changing the original plan and what the decision would mean for coastal communities expecting to benefit from the project.

The controversy grew after Umahi reportedly quoted the President as saying, “Divert, do not do any new alignments. Pass the coastal highway through the existing East-West road.”

The minister cited difficult terrain and flooding concerns as reasons for using the existing road corridor in parts of the Niger Delta. 

But following the backlash, the Federal Government moved to clarify its position, insisting that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had not been abandoned in favour of the East–West Road.

During a briefing on the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects on October 7, Umahi discussed changes to sections of the coastal highway, including the challenges posed by difficult terrain and existing infrastructure.

The Ministry of Works subsequently explained that the continuation of the highway would be aligned with the existing East–West Road in parts of the Niger Delta.

The ministry also cited flooding and climate-related risks affecting the existing road, saying sections would need to be raised to improve their resilience.

The remarks prompted concerns that a project originally presented as a coastal highway was being redirected inland, potentially changing which communities would have direct access to the route. 

On Monday, October 12, Umahi dismissed reports that Tinubu had ordered the coastal highway to be discontinued in favour of the East–West Road.

According to the minister, the proposed reconstruction of 400 kilometres of the East–West Road, from Edo State towards Cross River State, is an additional project that will run alongside the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

He said the coastal highway remained on course, with construction continuing on several sections while survey and design work progressed on sections yet to enter full construction.

The ministry also said procurement and construction of the outstanding sections would commence after the necessary surveys and designs were completed, starting from the end of the Ondo axis.

The government’s clarification means it would be inaccurate to conclude that the entire Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has been cancelled or replaced by the East–West Road.

However, questions remain about the precise alignment of the affected sections and how the two road projects will connect.

One of the major concerns is whether the revised alignment could leave some coastal communities without the access and economic opportunities they expected from the project.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has called on Tinubu to clarify the approved route and identify the communities that will benefit from, or be bypassed by, the highway.

He warned that moving sections inland could undermine the project’s original objective of connecting coastal communities and supporting economic activities in the region.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has also questioned the government’s handling of the project and raised concerns about a possible $20 billion loan. That figure remains an allegation raised by Atiku, rather than a confirmed borrowing decision in the reports reviewed. 

The questions also extend to the planning process. Critics want the government to explain how engineering challenges, difficult terrain and flooding risks informed the original route and subsequent changes.

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The Federal Government says work on the coastal highway will continue, while surveying and design work on the remaining sections is ongoing.

The outstanding issue is not simply whether the project has been abandoned, which the government denies, but precisely how the revised alignment will work and which communities will benefit from it.

For Nigerians following the controversy, the distinction is important: the government says the East–West Road reconstruction is an additional project, but Umahi’s earlier remarks about aligning part of the coastal highway with the existing road have left questions about the route that require a clear public explanation.

Until the government provides more detail on the final alignment and the communities it will serve, the debate over Tinubu’s flagship coastal highway project is likely to continue.