The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has clarified opinion arising from the opinion expressed by former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not go beyond Epe.
Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Francis Nwaze disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
Speaking during an inspection of Section 4B of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State on Wednesday, the Minister explained that the Renewed Hope flagship infrastructure project of President Bola Tinubu was making steady progress, creating thousands of jobs, improving security and opening new opportunities for commerce, agriculture and education.
Recalling Donald Duke’s opinion on the project, Umahi pointed out that the facts on the ground have now answered every doubt. “So the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is already on sail. And then so we have sail past Lagos that my brother Donald Duke talked about.”
The Minister explained that construction is progressing simultaneously across several state, “We are also on sail at Ogun, 28KM, on sail at Ondo, 52KM, all by two. We are already on sail in Calabar, 27km, and the Akwa Ibom, the first section of Akwa Ibom is about 47km. Those jobs are over 60 percent done. And we are on sail in the longest section of this Lagos-Calabar, that is at Akwa Ibom, 180km by two”, he said.
Umahi emphasised that the coastal highway was not just about connecting communities but about transforming lives through employment, improved security and economic prosperity.
The Minister maintained that constructive criticism remains welcome, provided it is accompanied by practical alternatives. “So if you want to criticize us, I’ve said it, criticize us constructively and offer alternatives.”
Umahi further explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully committed to delivering the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, expressing confidence that the project will be completed.
The Minister urged the people of the Niger Delta to support and defend the transformational project, describing it as one that will reshape the economic future of the region.
Additionally, Umahi stated that opposition to the coastal highway does not reflect the interests of the Niger Delta people. “Those who are attacking the coastal highway, they don’t have love for the Niger Delta people.”
Responding to concerns that the highway alignment was altered to benefit private estates, Umahi clarified that the route was changed solely on engineering and economic considerations.
He explained that the original proposal along the coastline encountered soil deposits as deep as 50 metres, making construction technically difficult and prohibitively expensive. He further noted that the original alignment would also have required bridges across three large ocean channels measuring about 3.5 kilometres each, significantly increasing the project’s cost.
He pointed out that the revised alignment followed President Tinubu’s directive to ensure that the project remained achievable without compromising quality.
The Minister commended HITECH Construction Company for its professionalism, quality of work and peaceful relationship with host communities, describing the company as a dependable partner in the successful delivery of the project.
