Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has publicly criticised the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over the handling of questions relating to the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
In a viral video from an event held on Friday, Governor Makinde expressed his disapproval of the minister’s evasive responses during a recent live television interview. The incident, which aired earlier in the week on Arise TV, involved a heated exchange between Umahi and broadcaster Rufai Oseni, who had requested a kilometre-by-kilometre breakdown of the highway’s cost.
Rather than provide a straightforward answer, Umahi dismissed the question as “elementary” and accused Oseni of lacking the technical knowledge to understand the complexities involved. “Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything,” Umahi said during the exchange, claiming the varying topography and specifications across different sections of the road made a simple breakdown impractical.
Oseni, undeterred, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”
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Speaking in defence of Oseni’s line of questioning, Governor Makinde stated that the public has a right to know the cost implications of a project of such magnitude. “They asked a minister how much the coastal road is, and then you are dancing around and saying the next kilometre is different from the next kilometre. Then what is the average cost?” he questioned.
Governor Makinde further illustrated his point by referencing infrastructure projects undertaken in Oyo State. “When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road, it was about ₦9.99 billion for around 34 to 35 kilometres. That’s an average of ₦238 million per kilometre, but when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, which is 76 kilometres, it cost about ₦43 billion, that’s roughly ₦500 million per kilometre. And that included two major bridges,” he explained.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, a 700-kilometre dual carriageway stretching across nine states with additional spurs to the north, was approved under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and officially flagged off last year. The first phase, comprising 47.47 kilometres, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited and is being built with concrete pavement.
A statement released by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Uchenna Orji, confirmed that the minister had handed over the first phase of the project, and reiterated the government’s commitment to timely completion. According to Umahi, any contractor delaying progress after mobilisation would not be granted cost variations.
The controversy around the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has reignited debates around transparency, accountability, and infrastructure financing in Nigeria. While the federal government touts the project as a game-changer for coastal development, critics have urged for greater clarity in public spending, especially amid economic challenges.
