The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has firmly dismissed claims that the proposed route for the landmark 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project has been abandoned or altered, reassuring the public that construction remains fully intact and is steadily progressing across multiple states.
Speaking during a detailed press briefing held on Monday, October 12, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Ministry of Works Headquarters in Area 1, Garki, Abuja, Minister Umahi clarified the scope of ongoing civil engineering works along the alignment.
Addressing journalists, community stakeholders, and ministry officials, Umahi stressed that the government has neither modified the original master plan nor diverted the highway’s overall baseline, emphasizing that certain completed and ongoing stretches are already exceeding 40 percent completion.
”Nobody has abandoned or altered the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway,” Umahi declared. “The 750-kilometre coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed. Nobody has the power to change it because it is already fully designed and construction is actively ongoing across several state corridors.”
The Minister addressed recent concerns regarding route alignment modifications in specific terrain zones. Responding to inquiries about local realignments, particularly along challenging coastal stretches in Ondo State, Umahi explained that localised engineering adjustments were essential due to extreme geographical factors.
”In areas like Ondo State, the original baseline crossed terrain featuring pits over 100 metres deep with unstable soil profiles, which would have unnecessarily inflated construction costs and delayed execution,” Umahi stated. “Our adjustments are rooted strictly in sound engineering principles to safeguard public funds and ensure long-term structural durability.”
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government is seeking approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to formally integrate an additional 400-kilometre stretch along the East-West Road corridor.
This expansion aims to bypass flood-prone sections across Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River states by raising critical segments up to two metres above historical flood lines.
Adding operational context to the briefing, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, along with the Lead Technical Surveyor for the Niger Delta Corridor, Engr. Olufemi Dare, presented technical updates on active sections.
According to the Ministry’s technical updates, special design and survey teams are currently deployed along key corridors spanning Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states to finalize right-of-way delineations. Early sections originating from the Lagos axis remain on schedule, with continuous concrete paving operations progressing smoothly.
The completed highway infrastructure will incorporate tolled arterial zones designed to support surrounding agricultural, industrial, and maritime trade hubs across all nine coastal states.
Closing the session, Umahi reiterated the administration’s commitment to delivering the multi-trillion naira coastal infrastructure project transparently, urging the public to disregard misleading reports suggesting the federal project had been derailed or altered.
