Atiku’s Aide Questions Tinubu Government Over Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Planning, Funding

Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has questioned the planning, funding and implementation of the Federal Government’s 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

Ibe raised the concerns in a post on X, following an explanation by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, that the highway was being designed and costed in sections rather than through a single exercise covering the entire route.

The ADC presidential candidate’s aide said his objection was not to having separate engineering designs for different sections of the road. Instead, he questioned whether the government had an integrated plan outlining the project’s total cost, financing structure and expected completion date.

Ibe called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to disclose the latest overall cost estimate for the highway, how much money had been committed and disbursed, and when the entire project was expected to be completed.

He also urged Umahi to make key project documents public, including the coordinated route plan, sectional engineering designs, cost breakdowns, procurement records, environmental approvals, compensation obligations and financing arrangements.

The media aide further questioned the commencement of construction while environmental assessments were reportedly still being conducted section by section under provisional approval. He argued that the government should provide greater clarity about the approvals and arrangements governing the project.

Ibe maintained that the administration should be able to account for the highway as a single major infrastructure undertaking, even if its construction and design were being handled in phases. He said sectional explanations should not replace a comprehensive account of the project’s overall scope and delivery plans.

“Nigerians are not asking every kilometre to look alike. We are asking the government’s explanations to add up,” he wrote. He added: “Public money deserves a clear plan—not a moving target.”