The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said the Federal Government is targeting the completion of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within the next three years, potentially delivering the project before the end of President Bola Tinubu’s second term in 2031.
Umahi disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, where he defended the administration’s decision to prioritise major infrastructure projects despite concerns about the poor condition of several existing federal roads.
The minister also defended the procurement process for the coastal highway, acknowledging that the project was awarded without public bidding but insisting that the procedure complied with the law.
“There was no public bidding, but there was direct procurement. It’s within the law. That’s all I’ve just said,” he stated.
Asked about the expected completion date of the 750-kilometre highway, Umahi said the government was working towards delivering the project within three years.
“We have four years plus by God’s special grace. So we are looking at three years,” he said.
He expressed confidence in the administration’s ability to meet the target, attributing his optimism to his faith and belief in the President’s commitment to completing the project.
“I’m a child of God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Okay, so I’m giving you the faith I have and the president that I know, that I believe that within the next three years plus, the president will be able to complete that project,” he added.
The projection suggests that the highway could be completed around 2029, although Umahi did not provide a detailed construction schedule or specific completion dates for its various sections.
The coastal highway is among the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects, designed to improve transportation and connectivity along Nigeria’s southern coastline.
However, its implementation has attracted criticism over procurement procedures, project costs, funding arrangements and the prioritisation of new infrastructure while existing roads remain in poor condition.
Addressing concerns about the state of federal roads, Umahi said his ministry was undertaking extensive construction and rehabilitation works across the country.
“Out of about 35,000 kilometres of our federal roads, the one that is before me in the Ministry of Works, if you remove the few legacy projects we are constructing, we are constructing 17,000 kilometres of roads presently,” he said.
He added that the administration had completed approximately 1,700 kilometres of roads since taking office, alongside more than six kilometres of flyovers, bridges and underpasses.
Umahi also argued that the government’s flagship infrastructure projects involved the reconstruction of existing routes, rather than the development of entirely new roads.
“I’ve said that the legacy projects are not entirely greenfield. And so that justification is that we are also reworking the existing roads within these four legacy projects,” he said.
Explaining the financing arrangements, the minister said the projects were structured to attract investment, with funding sourced partly from Federal Government companies and partly through loans.
“These legacy projects are investment-driven because 30 per cent is from companies of the federal government and 70 per cent is loan-driven,” he stated.
On the need for the coastal highway, Umahi cited growing traffic congestion along the Lagos corridor, particularly around Victoria Island and Lekki, warning that the situation could worsen without additional road infrastructure.
“In the next five years, unless something is done in the corridor from VI to Lekki, it becomes, you know, a car park because of the congestion. And that’s why we are building the seven taxi route,” he said.
The minister also addressed the controversy surrounding plans to engage 4,000 social media influencers to promote the administration’s projects, insisting that he would personally bear the cost rather than use public funds.
“Dave Umahi is funding, not Minister of Works, is funding influencers to advertise what I’m doing because I believe in what I’m doing. I believe in what the president is doing,” he said.
He further disclosed that the initiative would also serve as a platform for promoting Tinubu’s political interests nationwide.
“I am funding 4,000 influencers to advertise what the president is doing and it’s a catalyst for campaigning for him all over Nigeria.”
When asked whether the influencers would campaign for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election and respond to criticism of the administration, Umahi acknowledged that the initiative would support the President politically.
The minister also rejected suggestions that his criticism of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi was motivated by his own presidential ambitions, describing such speculation as disrespectful to Tinubu.
“I cannot wish the position of my boss. It is disloyalty and it’s unspiritual and disrespectful,” he said.
Speaking about his long-term political aspirations and the legacy he hopes to leave behind, Umahi said he wanted to be remembered for infrastructure development, helping people and promoting the integration of the South-East into national politics.
“My legacy will be the people I have made to laugh. The roads I have constructed, the people I have lifted up. And the region of South-East that I support being totally integrated,” he said.
