The Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, has warned that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may not be completed if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure a second term in 2027.
Umahi disclosed this on Friday while speaking in interview on Arise Television.
According to him, the 750-kilometre road is a personal initiative of President Tinubu and needs continuity to be fully delivered, saying that only Tinubu’s return can guarantee the completion of the project and other legacy roads across the country.
The former Governor of Ebonyi State also refuted claims that the coastal highway has been abandoned for the East-West Road.
“If President Tinubu does not come back in 2027 (God forbid), the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be gone.
“The 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed, and nobody has the powers to change it, because it’s already designed and it’s ongoing,” he said.
The Minister explained that President Tinubu has approved an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road from Edo State to Cross River State to be reconstructed alongside the coastal highway.
He said the President directed that the coastal highway should pass through the existing East-West Road corridor instead of opening new alignments.
He blamed the diversion on the difficult terrain in Ondo State, where he said construction pits are over 100 metres deep and sharp sand is not available up to 300 metres.