The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu will complete the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within the projected timeframe.
Umahi gave the assurance on Wednesday during an inspection of ongoing work on the Ondo section of the highway in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
The minister also dismissed criticisms surrounding the project, claiming that many of those opposing it never believed the administration would be able to execute it successfully.
According to him, the first section of the project, covering 7.47 kilometres from Victoria Island to Elepe village, has already been completed.
He added that work on the second section, which stretches approximately 50 kilometres from Lagos to the Ogun State border, is about 70 per cent complete.
Umahi further disclosed that sections 3A and 3B, spanning about 67 kilometres, have reached roughly 30 per cent completion, while work is progressing steadily on Section 4, which extends from Ogun State into Ondo State.
He explained that Section 5, covering approximately 180 kilometres in Akwa Ibom State, remains the longest segment of the project.
“We have another 100-kilometre section beginning at the end of the Ondo section, which is currently at the design stage. What will remain afterwards are the sections through Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states,” he said.
The minister also responded to criticisms from former Cross River State governor Donald Duke, who had questioned the viability and priority of the project.
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“I watched the interview of His Excellency Donald Duke. He is a very brilliant man. What impressed me most was that he avoided insults. He was a perfect gentleman, and I am proud of him,” Umahi said.
He, however, disagreed with Duke’s assertion that the highway would not extend beyond Epe.
“Those attacking the Coastal Highway are, in my view, motivated by envy because they never believed this President could deliver it.
The man who tamed the Atlantic Ocean is capable of delivering this project. I call him a divine President,” he added.
Addressing concerns over alleged alterations to the route, Umahi explained that changes were necessitated by engineering considerations rather than political influence.
According to him, soil investigations along parts of the coastline revealed extensive deposits of peat, making construction in those areas extremely difficult and expensive.
He noted that engineers encountered peat deposits extending between 40 and 50 metres below the surface in some locations, forcing adjustments to the original alignment of the road.
The minister also commended the construction company handling the project for maintaining steady progress while contributing positively to host communities.