Makinde to Umahi: Stop Dancing Around Lagos–Calabar Highway Cost

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has slammed the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over his refusal to disclose the true cost of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, accusing him of concealing vital information on one of Nigeria’s biggest road projects.

In a viral video that set social media abuzz on Friday, Makinde, an electrical engineer, took a swipe at Umahi for his “defensive and arrogant” response during a live interview on ARISE News, where the minister clashed with journalist Rufai Oseni over the project’s cost per kilometre.

The fiery exchange began when Oseni asked the minister to explain the cost breakdown of the 700-kilometre coastal highway. But Umahi, visibly irritated, dismissed the question as “elementary,” declaring himself a “professor of practice” in engineering and accusing the journalist of ignorance.

> “How can you be asking for cost per kilometre? Every kilometre is different. The process is ongoing. Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know,” Umahi snapped during the live broadcast.

The remark, which has drawn widespread criticism, did not sit well with Governor Makinde, who said Umahi’s evasive attitude raises serious transparency concerns.

> “They asked a minister how much the coastal road is, and then he starts dancing around, saying one kilometre is different from another. What is the average cost? Nigerians deserve to know,” Makinde said.

Drawing from his own experience in road construction, Makinde cited examples of cost transparency under his administration.

> “When we did the Oyo–Iseyin road, it cost ₦9.99 billion for 34 kilometres — about ₦238 million per kilometre. The Iseyin–Ogbomoso road was 76 kilometres for ₦43 billion — around ₦500 million per kilometre, and we built two bridges. So, why can’t the minister provide similar details?” he queried.

The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, a flagship project of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, will stretch across nine states, with two spurs connecting to the northern corridor. The first 47.47-kilometre section has been handed over to Hitech Construction Company Limited, using reinforced concrete pavement technology touted for durability.

However, controversy has trailed the project since inception — from land acquisition and demolition of beachfront properties to the secrecy surrounding its true financial outlay, estimated to run into trillions of naira.

Makinde’s comments have rekindled the public outcry for accountability and fiscal transparency, as Nigerians question the real cost and procurement process behind the high-profile highway project.