Tinubu Defends Coastal Highway Project, Says Critics Are “Uninformed”
By: IDNN Policy Desk
ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has defended his administration’s handling of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, describing the ₦15 trillion project as “visionary infrastructure” wrongly targeted by misinformed critics.
The President made the remarks while addressing Muslim leaders during Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, amid intensifying backlash over the project’s cost, timing, and environmental impact.
“Those who are attacking the highway project do so from a position of ignorance,” Tinubu said.
“This road will reshape Nigeria’s economy and boost our national security from the West to the East.”
🚧 PROJECT IN BRIEF
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Name: Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway
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Length: 700+ kilometres
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Cost: Approx. ₦15 trillion ($10 billion)
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Scope: 10-lane dual carriageway + special economic zones
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Implementing Partner: Hitech Construction Company
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States Covered: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River
The government says the highway will decongest inland trade routes, open up coastal economic corridors, and connect over 7 million people to major infrastructure networks.
CRITICISM MOUNTS FROM OPPOSITION, EXPERTS
Critics, including several opposition governors, civil society groups, and economists, have questioned the:
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Displacement of communities without adequate compensation
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Environmental impact on mangrove and wetland ecosystems
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Opaque procurement and lack of legislative debate
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Timing amid economic austerity and subsidy backlash
The Labour Party called the project a “white elephant wrapped in PR” and demanded a public audit.
TINUBU: “IF WE WAIT FOR PERFECTION, WE’LL NEVER START”
Responding to the concerns, Tinubu urged Nigerians to see the long-term value of infrastructure that connects people, ports, power plants, and production zones.
“Nation-building is noisy. Change is uncomfortable,” he said.
“But this is the type of discomfort that brings prosperity tomorrow.”
He likened the criticism to that which followed his fuel subsidy removal, which he said “has now stabilized Nigeria’s fiscal survival.”
PRESIDENCY PUSHES TRANSPARENCY PIVOT
State House officials say new transparency measures will be introduced, including:
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A live project dashboard on the Ministry of Works website
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Real-time updates on community compensations and environmental impact assessments
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Quarterly review briefings from the Infrastructure Convergence Council
According to Minister of Works David Umahi, over 200 kilometres of preliminary work has been cleared, and “no sacred cow will be spared in project monitoring.”
STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE
Experts say the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway could:
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Enhance inter-state commerce and food distribution
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Bolster Nigeria’s maritime defense grid
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Boost tourism and logistics along the coastline
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Create over 40,000 jobs directly during its implementation phase
But analysts warn that weak governance, not engineering, is the real risk.
