Samuel Omang
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has dismissed criticisms from Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, insisting that the figures were derived through standard global engineering benchmarks and not political estimation.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the Keffi Bridge and Nasarawa–Toto Road projects on Saturday, Umahi said Governor Makinde’s recent comments showed a “misunderstanding” of the technical parameters used to determine construction costs.
Makinde had, in a viral video on Friday, faulted Umahi’s refusal to publicly disclose a detailed breakdown of the project’s cost per kilometre, accusing the minister of “dancing around” the figures.
Reacting, Umahi said he holds Makinde in high esteem as a “brother and colleague” but advised him to seek clarification before making public allegations.
“I heard that my brother, Governor Makinde, made some remarks about the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. I don’t want to join issues with him, but this is not a political discussion—it’s a technical one,” Umahi stated.
“He’s an engineer, and I’m also an engineer, but when it comes to civil works and road design, it’s a different field. If he doesn’t understand the computations, he can reach out, and I’ll gladly explain.”
Umahi maintained that the highway’s cost computation was based on both estimated and average parameters, which are internationally recognized in road engineering.
According to him, the estimated cost accounts for potential variations such as inflation, contingencies, and material fluctuations, while the average cost reflects the final figures after the project’s completion.
“There is no ambiguity in cost per kilometre,” Umahi explained. “We have the estimated cost, which is variable, and the average cost, which is definitive. When a project is completed, whatever funds were not used for contingencies are deducted, giving the actual cost.”
The minister added that some individuals had even resorted to asking Artificial Intelligence to define the difference between both terms, only for the AI’s response to align with his earlier explanation.
“I laughed when someone asked AI to explain cost per kilometre. The same AI confirmed exactly what I said, which means even technology supports my position,” he quipped.
Umahi further cited the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) clarification that professional expertise and field experience qualify a person as an authority in their discipline, saying that his decades in engineering practice stand as proof of competence.
“Experience in practical field engineering counts. I may not be a classroom professor, but in real-life construction, I’ve earned that status,” he declared.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, one of President Bola Tinubu’s flagship infrastructure projects, is expected to span over 700 kilometres, connecting several coastal states and enhancing regional trade and tourism.