Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project is a scamBabachir Lawal <br><br><blockquote><b>Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has expressed strong reservations about the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as lacking in transparency and questioning its impact on Nigerians.</b><br><br>Speaking during a televised interview on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Lawal said he does not believe the project addresses the developmental needs of Nigerians, citing what he perceives as a lack of tangible progress on infrastructure across the country.<br><br><b>If you ask me, What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives' I cannot see any, Lawal said. He added that in regions like northern Nigeria where he frequently travels, there is little evidence of active road construction or rehabilitation efforts.<br><br>In the South-West, I dont think there is any either. They are still talking about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which it appears every government talks about and votes money for, and it never goes anywhere,</b> he said.<br><br>Lawal was critical of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road in particular, calling it a scam. According to him, skepticism about the project predates its commencement, and early developments have only confirmed those doubts. Even before they started, we knew it would be a scam, and it has become a scam, he said.<br><br><b>President Bola Tinubu commissioned the first 30-kilometre phase of the project in May 2025. The stretch runs from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in Lagos. In June, the Federal Government secured a $747 million loan to support the broader 700-kilometre project, which is expected to cost approximately 15 trillion over several years.</b><br><br>Lawal questioned the justification for the loans taken to fund infrastructure projects, suggesting that the public has not seen sufficient results. You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there, he said. What can Nigerians see' What are they doing with our money'<br><br><b>The project has attracted criticism from opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Some property owners along the construction corridor have also protested demolitions and demanded compensation.<br><br>Despite the pushback, government officials have defended the initiative as essential to economic development. Minister of Works David Umahi has described it as a catalyst for growth, arguing that the highway will benefit states across the country.<br></b><br>Umahi stated in December 2024 that public skepticism would ease once the broader benefits of the road become clearer. When people stop the suspicion and digest the coastal road project very well, they will know its a catalyst for the growth of every state in this country, he told the Senate Committee on Works.<br><br><br></blockquote><a rel=ugc href="https://guardian.ng/news/lagos-calabar-coastal-highway-project-is-a-scam-babachir-lawal/#google_vignette">https://guardian.ng/news/lagos-calabar-coastal-highway-project-is-a-scam-babachir-lawal/#google_vignette</a>
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