What changed? – Daily Trust

The federal authorities’s resolution to divert a part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway via the East-West Road hall has stirred controversy, with the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, defending the transfer as an engineering necessity geared toward lowering development prices and guaranteeing worth for public funds.

Umahi defined that the unique alignment of the coastal freeway via Ondo State offered important engineering challenges, together with deep pits and unsuitable terrain that may have considerably elevated the price of development.

He maintained that the choice to revamp the route was guided by technical assessments quite than political issues, insisting that continuing with the unique alignment would have imposed an pointless monetary burden on the federal government.

The minister made the clarification throughout a press briefing, responding to petitions and allegations that he had diverted the coastal freeway from its accredited route in Ondo State.

Daily Trust studies that the coastal freeway venture is a signature venture of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration geared toward easing commuting from Lagos to Calabar.

The first section of the venture was commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2025 amidst pomp.

The street is a four-lane freeway from the previous Bar Beach/Victoria Island entry level constructed with concrete pavement.

From Victoria Island, Lagos, it was initially designed to move via Ogun State; Ondo State; Delta State; Bayelsa State; Rivers State and Akwa-Ibom State.

The federal authorities in 2025 mentioned it plans to spend $747 million on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway venture following the approval of a further $47 million exterior mortgage to fund the venture.

The new mortgage was captured underneath the federal government’s 2025–2026 exterior borrowing plan request accredited by the lawmakers.

Tinubu, mentioned the adjustment to the borrowing plan was because of a rise within the funding requirement for the venture, whose value rose from $700 million to $747 million, a $47 million increment.

So far, with over 40 kilometers of the freeway accomplished, the federal authorities has sunk over a whole lot of billions into the venture.

Why the rerouting

The Works Minister defined that the terrain alongside the unique alignment was unsuitable for standard street development due to the depth of the pits and the absence of appropriate sharp sand inside the required depth for filling and stabilisation.

“You want me to pass through a terrain that is over 100 metres of pits deep, and I have no defined sharp sand up to 300 metres, and you expect the cost of one kilometre to be the same cost with a road passing through normal terrain?” he requested.

He mentioned the ministry consequently undertook a detour and redesigned to keep away from the troublesome terrain.

“We had to take a very serious engineering decision by making a detour, redesigning it to avoid such a route. We are doing a filling of over 10 metres, which is 30 feet plus, with sharp sand, and filling is almost concluded,” the minister mentioned.

He added that the diversion impacts Sections 4A and 4B of the coastal freeway, overlaying 67 kilometres, comprising 27 kilometres in Ogun State and about 40 kilometres in Ondo State. The part will terminate across the Ondo-Edo axis.

Providing an replace on the broader venture, Umahi mentioned Section 1, a 47.47-kilometre stretch from Victoria Island, Lagos, had been accomplished and was prepared for commissioning.

He added that the twin pavement on Section 2, which covers 55 kilometres and terminates on the Lagos-Ogun boundary, can be accomplished subsequent month.

The minister mentioned the flyovers, overpasses and underpasses on Section 2 had required in depth redesign, significantly across the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport.

He defined that an 86-metre-span bridge, with 43-metre counterforts, had been designed to accommodate refinery vans and resolve a visitors battle involving the deep-seaport prepare, the Dangote tax-credit street and the 25-kilometre Seventh Axial Road linking Epe to the Sagamu expressway.

“We have redesigned a very beautiful flyover to resolve that conflict,” Umahi mentioned.

At the Calabar finish, he mentioned Sections 3A and 3B, overlaying 65 kilometres, had achieved greater than 30 per cent completion.

The minister additionally confirmed that development was ongoing on Section 5, an 82-kilometre twin carriageway in Akwa Ibom State.

In addition, he disclosed that work was progressing on an 88-kilometre hyperlink from Calabar to Ebidi Beach, which is meant to attach with the Trans-Saharan route.

Despite Umahi’s rationalization, the diversion of Sections 4A and 4B is more likely to stay a topic of public scrutiny, given the strategic significance of the coastal freeway and the substantial public assets dedicated to its development.

What modified?

While the minister has maintained that the adjustment was essential to keep away from unsuitable terrain and stop development prices from escalating, specialists requested whether or not no feasibility research was carried out earlier than the venture.

A former chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ikeja department, Engr. Akintayo Akintola, raised considerations over the planning, environmental implications and long-term accessibility of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Akintola questioned whether or not sufficient feasibility research and environmental assessments have been carried out earlier than development started, significantly in areas the place the proposed freeway might alter pure drainage patterns and have an effect on neighbouring communities.

Akintola argued that the talk ought to lengthen past development prices to incorporate the unique planning assumptions, environmental penalties and the street’s supposed advantages to commuters and host communities.

He recalled earlier considerations raised concerning the want for environmental influence assessments earlier than the graduation of main infrastructure tasks, questioning whether or not adequate consideration had been paid to the bodily traits of the coastal hall.

According to him, the engineering implications of establishing an elevated street via low-lying coastal communities require cautious consideration, significantly relating to water motion and drainage.

He defined that hydraulic engineering ideas demand that street designs account for the pure circulate of water from larger floor in direction of decrease areas and finally into the ocean.

Akintola warned that establishing a raised freeway embankment with out sufficient drainage provisions might hinder pure water motion and probably have an effect on surrounding communities.

He noticed that sections of the proposed street might operate as embankments, elevating questions on how water would circulate throughout the panorama as soon as the freeway was accomplished.

His remarks underscore the necessity for detailed engineering assessments to determine whether or not applicable drainage channels, culverts and different hydraulic constructions had been integrated into the venture design.

Akintola additionally raised questions concerning the proposed tolling preparations and the necessity to make sure that the coastal freeway stays accessible to completely different classes of street customers.

He urged that various routes must be thought of within the planning of main transport infrastructure in order that commuters who can not afford toll expenses wouldn’t be left with out sensible choices.

Another knowledgeable, Engr. Abbas Mohammed questioned if preliminary research and hydrological survey have been carried out earlier than the beginning of the venture.

However, he acknowledged that there was nothing incorrect with the federal government correcting the error by rerouting the venture which might go a great distance in saving prices.

The engineer mentioned main infrastructure tasks of such magnitude must be supported by complete feasibility research to establish potential development challenges earlier than work begins.

Abbas mentioned the event raised questions concerning the extent of the investigations carried out earlier than the unique route was chosen.

He famous that geological investigations have been significantly vital for a venture traversing completely different terrain, though such research could possibly be costly and technically demanding.

He, nonetheless, defined that it was common for development tasks to come across unexpected difficulties even after preliminary research had been accomplished, making flexibility and the provision of other engineering options important.

Abbas, who’s a former NSE chairman, Abeokuta Ogun State, mentioned such challenges didn’t essentially imply a venture couldn’t proceed, as engineers might discover various designs and development strategies to handle issues encountered alongside the route.

He indicated that rerouting could possibly be one of many choices accessible the place the unique alignment proved unsuitable, supplied the choice remained technically possible and related to the broader transport community.

Expert backs inland route

On his half, a transportation security analyst, Patrick Adenusi, mentioned the proposed diversion to an inland route might cut back development prices, stimulate financial actions in cities and villages, and enhance emergency response.

The security advocate mentioned it was troublesome to find out whether or not sufficient feasibility research had been carried out earlier than the unique route was chosen, however maintained that such assessments ought to ordinarily precede main infrastructure tasks.

He acknowledged that transferring the street inland might decrease development prices whereas bettering entry to communities alongside the choice hall.