By Abubakar Suleiman Rimi Uku Lafia
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar appears vindicated over his earlier claims that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project was grossly inflated, as the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has now admitted that the actual cost of the project stands at about ₦8 billion per kilometre.
When the project was first unveiled, Atiku had alleged that the cost per kilometre was outrageously high and lacked transparency. However, at the time, Minister Umahi dismissed the claim, stating in a 2024 interview that the project cost was ₦4 billion per kilometre — not ₦8 billion as alleged by the former Vice President.
In a recent statement, Umahi appeared to reverse his earlier position, acknowledging that the cost is indeed closer to ₦8 billion per kilometre. The revelation, according to Atiku’s camp, confirms the former Vice President’s concerns about inflated figures and questionable financing arrangements surrounding the multi-billion-naira project.
Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, in a statement on Tuesday, said the admission by the Minister exposes the Tinubu administration’s lack of transparency in managing one of Nigeria’s most expensive infrastructure projects.
“Atiku has consistently called for due process, competitive bidding, and transparency in public projects. This latest development shows he was right all along,” Shaibu said.
He added that the Federal Government’s commitment of only 15%–30% of the project’s total cost — with the remainder expected to be financed by the contractor — raises several red flags about the true source of funding and the nature of sovereign guarantees involved.
The statement further demanded that the Federal Government publish the full contractual details, subject the project to an independent value-for-money audit, and suspend further payments until Nigerians are assured that the project genuinely serves the national interest.
“Atiku has once again demonstrated statesmanship and patriotism by speaking truth to power. Every inflated contract represents theft from the Nigerian people,” Shaibu stated.
