KEY POINTS
- Makinde challenges Umahi over Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway cost.
- Governor urges transparency and average cost disclosure.
- Debate deepens over Nigeria’s most ambitious highway project.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has joined calls for greater transparency on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, questioning why the Minister of Works, David Umahi, was “dancing around” details of the project’s cost.
In a viral video on Friday, Makinde said the minister’s refusal to provide a clear figure had raised more questions than answers about the highway, one of President Bola Tinubu’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.
Makinde demands clarity on Lagos-Calabar highway cost
The governor was reacting to a heated live exchange between Umahi and Arise TV anchor Rufai Oseni earlier in the week. Oseni had asked Umahi to explain the project’s cost per kilometre, but the minister rebuffed the question, calling it “elementary” and insisting the costs varied by terrain.
“You’re dancing around and saying the next kilometre is different from the next,” Makinde said. “Then what does it cost on average?”
He compared Umahi’s response with his own state projects, saying: “When we did the Oyo–Iseyin road, about 35 kilometres, it cost nearly N10 billion, that’s about N238 million per kilometre. For the Iseyin–Ogbomoso road, 76 kilometres cost N43 billion, or roughly N500 million per kilometre.”
Umahi defends project scope and pricing
The Federal Government last year announced the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a dual carriageway that cuts across nine states and includes two northern spurs.
During the handover of the first 47.47-kilometre phase to Hitech Construction Company Limited, Umahi said the project will use a concrete pavement to ensure longevity and durability.
He has repeatedly warned contractors against project delays or cost variations after mobilisation, stressing that the government will release funds only for verified work progress.
Despite those assurances, the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has continued to stir debate, with critics calling for public disclosure of budget details.
