Minister of Works, David Umahi, has rejected claims by former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not extend beyond Epe in Lagos State.
Umahi said construction on the major road project has progressed significantly beyond Lagos, with work ongoing simultaneously in several states along the coastal route.
The minister made the clarification during an inspection of Section 4B of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State. His media aide, Francis Nwaze, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
Umahi said the project, which is a major component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, is gradually transforming communities by creating jobs, improving security and stimulating economic activities.
He maintained that developments at various construction sites had disproved doubts about the feasibility and progress of the project.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is already on course. We have gone beyond the point my brother Donald Duke talked about,” Umahi said.
According to the minister, construction is currently ongoing across different sections, including 28 kilometres in Ogun State, 52 kilometres in Ondo State and 27 kilometres in Cross River State.
He added that about 47 kilometres of the first section in Akwa Ibom State is also under construction and has reached more than 60 per cent completion.
Umahi further disclosed that work had commenced on a 180-kilometre dual carriageway section in Akwa Ibom, describing it as the longest stretch of the coastal highway.
The minister said the project should not be viewed solely as a transportation initiative, stressing that it was already producing economic and social benefits in communities along the route.
He disclosed that more than 1,000 people had been employed by HITECH Construction Company on the Ondo section alone, while several others were benefiting indirectly through businesses and other activities linked to the project.
Umahi said the government welcomed criticism but urged those opposed to the project to provide constructive alternatives.
“If you want to criticise us, let it be constructive and provide better options,” he said.
The minister also reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s determination to complete the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, expressing confidence that the project would be delivered as promised.
He appealed to residents of the Niger Delta to support the initiative, describing the highway as a transformative investment capable of reshaping the region’s economic prospects.
Umahi argued that opposition to the project should not override the interests of communities that are expected to benefit from improved transportation, increased investment and greater economic opportunities.
He further described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as one of the country’s most transparent and economically viable infrastructure projects, saying international financiers had commended its engineering design and procurement process.
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