Umahi Rejects ₦15 Trillion Estimate for Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

Minister of Works David Umahi has rejected the ₦15 trillion estimate put forward for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, questioning how the figure was calculated and insisting that the cost of the 750-kilometre project cannot be determined using a uniform rate for every section.

Umahi said the highway requires different engineering designs, environmental assessments and soil investigations because the terrain and construction challenges vary along the route.

He maintained that the Federal Government must complete the necessary technical studies for individual sections before determining their actual costs.

The minister made the clarification during an interview with ARISE News anchor Ojy Okpe, where he addressed concerns surrounding the highway’s design, cost, environmental approvals and alignment through the Niger Delta.

“There is no one single design for the 750 km of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” Umahi said.

He explained that the route existed as a concept before the current administration began construction, but a complete engineering design for the entire stretch from Lagos to Calabar had not been prepared at the time.

“What was done in 2006 was a concept,” the minister said, adding that the route had been gazetted but still required detailed engineering work before construction could proceed on its various sections.

According to him, the government is developing the highway through a phased process that involves carrying out technical investigations, preparing designs and obtaining the necessary environmental approvals for each section.

“You have to do the ESIA, you have to do the soil investigation, you have to do the engineering design,” he said.

Umahi argued that the differences in terrain, bridges, drainage requirements and other engineering structures make it unreasonable to calculate the total cost by multiplying the price of the section under construction in Lagos across the entire 750-kilometre route.

“Who fixed the ₦15 trillion?” Umahi asked, challenging the basis for the estimate.

The minister maintained that the cost of each section would depend on its specific construction requirements.

He said the Federal Government was procuring the project in sections, making it necessary to assess the cost of each portion as its design and engineering details became available.

His position suggests that a definitive overall cost cannot be established simply by applying the price per kilometre of one section to the remaining portions of the highway.

Some stretches may require more extensive structures and difficult engineering work than others, while their soil conditions and environmental characteristics may also differ.

Umahi also defended the government’s approach to environmental approvals, dismissing the suggestion that a single Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) covering the entire highway must be completed before construction can begin anywhere along the route.

“There is no single ESIA for the entire 750 kilometres,” he said.

The minister explained that environmental assessments were being handled in phases to reflect the sections scheduled for development.

He maintained that Section One had received its full environmental assessment and that the government was following the required procedures as the project progressed.

The issue of environmental approval has remained a major point of discussion since construction began in 2024.

The Federal Ministry of Environment published notices for public display of draft environmental assessment reports for Sections One and Two in August and October 2024, respectively.

The process allows members of the public to review the proposed development and submit comments for consideration.

Beyond the project’s cost and environmental requirements, questions have also been raised about the highway’s alignment, particularly in the Niger Delta region.

The debate intensified in October after reports that the Federal Government intended to route part of the highway through the existing East-West Road instead of building an entirely new alignment along the affected stretch.

Umahi has insisted that the government is not abandoning the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

He explained that the planned reconstruction of about 400 kilometres of the East-West Road is an additional infrastructure project intended to address flooding and improve road conditions across the Niger Delta.

The minister said the existing East-West Road had suffered damage during flooding, with some sections reportedly affected by rising water levels.

He argued that reconstructing vulnerable portions and raising them above anticipated flood levels would help protect the road and improve transportation across the region.

The clarification has not ended public questions about the project’s planning, cost and execution.

In a related development, the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation called for an independent audit of the highway project and demanded that the Federal Government publish engineering assessments, alternative-route studies, cost implications and records of payments made.

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