Olusegun Adeyemo
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has openly challenged the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over what he described as a lack of transparency in the cost disclosure of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, recently approved by President Bola Tinubu.
In a video that went viral on Friday, Governor Makinde rebuked Umahi for failing to provide clear details on the project’s per-kilometre cost, following a tense interaction between the minister and Arise TV host Rufai Oseni. Oseni had pressed Umahi to clarify the breakdown of expenses for the multi-state highway, but the minister dismissed the query as “elementary,” insisting that road construction costs differ along various segments.
“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field,” Umahi reportedly told the presenter.
Responding to Umahi’s comments, Makinde stressed that public accountability requires officials to provide citizens with understandable information. He highlighted similar projects in Oyo State to illustrate the feasibility of providing cost details.
“When we constructed the Oyo–Iseyin road, it cost about N9.99 billion for 34–35 kilometres, averaging N238 million per kilometre. Meanwhile, the Iseyin–Ogbomoso road, 76 kilometres with two bridges, came to roughly N43 billion, about N500 million per kilometre,” Makinde said. “If these figures can be shared for state projects, why not provide at least an average cost for the coastal highway?”
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, slated as a dual carriageway spanning 47.47 kilometres for its first phase, was recently handed over to Hitech Construction Company Limited, which will employ concrete pavement for the road.
Makinde’s intervention adds to growing public scrutiny over the federal project, with citizens and stakeholders demanding clarity on the estimated costs and execution plans for the strategically important highway connecting Nigeria’s southern and southeastern states.