The Presidency has lambasted the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, over his recent description of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as a “scam.”

Speaking on the latest episode of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Friday, July 11, 2025, Lawal alleged that President Bola Tinubu's administration has been pursuing “vanity projects.”

He further claimed that despite the government's claims of ongoing projects across the country, there are no visible implementations that Nigerians could point to, concluding that the administration has failed to work for the people.

“Their so-called coastal road is just a scam. Every Nigerian knows it is a scam. Even before they started, we knew it would be a scam, and it has become a scam,” he said.

ALSO READ: 'Tinubu's Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a scam - Babachir Lawal

The former SGF compared the 700km project to the long-delayed Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, arguing that the government had provided little transparency on cost and route alignment.

Meanwhile, the Presidency described Lawal's comments as cheap talk, accusing him of ignoring the project’s international financing.

“The only thing we can say is that he is not making sense. He is just involved in cheap talk,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy," Bayo Onanuga said.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the flagship projects of the Tinubu administration. The six-lane expressway linking Victoria Island in Lagos to Calabar in Cross River State is budgeted at about $11bn (N15 trillion) and slated for completion by 2031.

The road will traverse nine coastal states, feature multiple bridges and service hubs, and is expected to cut travel time between the South-West and South-South to under eight hours.

Works Minister, David Umahi, said the first slab would use continuously reinforced concrete pavement designed for a 50-year lifespan, with right-of-way expansions to accommodate fibre-optic cabling and gas pipelines.

“If you ask me, ‘What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives?’ I cannot see any.

“At least in northern Nigeria, where I am a frequent traveller, I don’t see any road that they are constructing or rehabilitating. In the South-West, I don’t think there is any,” Lawal insisted.

In May, President Tinubu commissioned a 30km section of the road, which stretches from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village Area in the Lekki Peninsula.

But the former SGF downplayed the development, questioning its relevance in the face of mounting public debt.

“You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there. So, I don’t understand. What can Nigerians see?

“It has become such that the President can go and commission 30 kilometres of a 700km road, which has even become a source of controversy. So, what are they doing with our money?” he asked.

ALSO READ: If you don't like the Lagos-Calabar road, go to Idumota - Tinubu tells critics

However, the Presidency rubbished Lawal's allegations as baseless, citing the financing package secured for the project recently.

“I hope he is aware that some banks are giving out money to build that road. If the banks are coming together and seeing something in that road, that means whoever is criticising it should examine themselves.

“If top banks, including a German bank, are backing a project, should it look like a scam to any reasonable person?,” Onanuga stated.