Let’s start with a question. Will the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway become another abandoned project? Low-key, you and I already know the answer. 

Nigeria has a long record of big projects announced with big promises, only for deadlines to pass. Ajaokuta is the best-known example. The steel complex has reportedly consumed an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion without producing a commercial sheet of steel, and Nigeria has spent N46.62 billion on it over the past decade.

It’s not just one project. The National Assembly has reportedly cited more than 60,000 abandoned projects nationwide, valued in the trillions of naira. The House of Representatives has since called for a review of abandoned federal projects.

So, what makes this one different?

The highway was announced as roughly 700 kilometres long. It’s now described as a 750-kilometre corridor across nine states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. 

Before work began, critics, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, questioned the contracting process, cost, and approvals. He argued the contract went to Hitech Construction without competitive bidding.

The government has defended its choice. The minister even pointed to a provision in the law allowing procurement based on a company’s specialist skills. He also described the funding as an EPC+ structure, where the federal government provides counterpart funding, projected at 15 to 30 per cent.  

But that is not the controversial part. In April 2024, Works Minister Dave Umahi defended a figure of ₦4 billion per kilometre. But the Federal Executive Council approved a contract of about ₦1.067 trillion for the first 47.47-kilometre section. By our calculation, that’s roughly ₦22.5 billion per kilometre for that section. 

To be fair, there’s a road on the ground, but the math is not just mathing. The minister says Section 1, a 47.47-kilometre stretch from Victoria Island, is complete and ready for commissioning. That completion claim comes from the Ministry, not an independent inspection. Work is also underway at the Calabar end, and surveys and designs for the remaining sections from Ondo to Rivers are still ongoing. 

The original plan connected coastal communities in Ondo with the Escravos–Ogheye–Ugborodo corridor in Delta. In October 2026, Umahi said the highway would be re-routed through the existing East-West Road from Ondo into Edo. The government cited difficult terrain, flooding and weak ground conditions. The next day, the Presidency said the entire 750-kilometre highway would be built as planned. 

Obviously, this has instilled mistrust, and now, not everyone is convinced. On 21 October, the House of Representatives urged the Ministry of Works to review the proposed realignment and keep the original route through Ondo and the Escravos–Ogheye–Ugborodo corridor. Niger Delta groups have made a similar call. 

This isn’t the first time the route made headlines. In April 2024, demolitions along the Lagos shoreline began on structures in the highway’s right of way. The government said it only cleared encroachments and paid ₦18 billion in compensation for Section 1. Landmark said it wasn’t consulted on the alignment or the environmental impact assessment.

None of this proves the highway will be abandoned. Parts of it exist, and the minister has said ICPC and EFCC were invited to review project costs. But there are some questions that are worth asking:

• Who independently checks the milestones?
• If the route changes, what happens to the communities the original plan was meant to connect?
• And when plans change, who is accountable?

Sources:

• https://www.channelstv.com/2025/05/31/coastal-road-we-did-no-harm-to-landmark-infrastructure-umahi 
• https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/10/coastal-highway-niger-delta-groups-urge-fg-to-restore-original-route/ 
• https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/14/lagos-calabar-coastal-road-presidency-disowns-plan-to-bypass-some-states/
• https://www.thecable.ng/umahi-coastal-highway-will-be-re-routed-to-link-east-west-road-due-to-difficult-terrain