Tinubu Orders Major Lagos-Calabar Highway Route Change as Umahi Reveals New Plan

President Bola Tinubu has directed that part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway be rerouted through the existing East-West Road, abandoning plans for a separate alignment along the affected corridor, Minister of Works David Umahi has said.

Umahi disclosed the decision while providing an update on the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects in Abuja. He said the revised route would connect the highway through the Ondo-Edo axis to the existing road corridor, rather than require the construction of an entirely new alignment in the area.

According to the minister, Tinubu gave a clear instruction to use the existing corridor instead of creating another route. Umahi said the decision was influenced by challenging ground conditions and concerns about the long-term reliability of road infrastructure in flood-prone parts of the Niger Delta.

The government’s explanation presents the change as an engineering and cost-management decision. However, the revised alignment also means that the Lagos-Calabar project will combine newly constructed highway sections with upgraded portions of an existing road, rather than follow an entirely new route throughout the affected stretch.

Flooding along the East-West Road, particularly around Ughelli in Delta State, is another factor behind the decision. Umahi said the existing road was built before the full effects of climate change and increasingly severe flooding were adequately anticipated. The minister said the Federal Government plans to raise vulnerable sections of the road by approximately two metres to accommodate current and projected flood levels. He also acknowledged the involvement of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in addressing flooding concerns along the corridor.

The rerouting follows other changes to the coastal highway’s alignment in Ondo State. Umahi defended those adjustments, citing deep pits, difficult subsoil conditions and the scale of earthworks required along the original route. He said some areas would have required filling exceeding 10 metres, adding to the engineering complexity and cost of construction.

The minister disclosed that the changes affect Sections 4A and 4B, covering a combined 67 kilometres across Ogun and Ondo states. He also identified the 45-kilometre Benin City bypass as a separate component intended to ease congestion in Edo State. The government has not yet provided a detailed public account of how the revised alignment will affect the overall project cost or delivery schedule.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship transport infrastructure projects, designed to connect Lagos with Calabar in Cross River State through nine states along Nigeria’s southern corridor.

At an infrastructure briefing on October 7, the Works Ministry reported that the first section, measuring approximately 47 kilometres, had been completed. Work was also progressing on the second section, which covers about 55 kilometres, while construction continued on other portions of the route.

The project is intended to improve movement between major commercial centres, support the transportation of goods and open up opportunities for trade, tourism and investment. Its eventual impact, however, will depend not only on the construction of new carriageways but also on the condition of connecting roads and the ability of the infrastructure to withstand environmental pressures.

The decision to incorporate the East-West Road therefore raises questions beyond the highway’s immediate route. While using an existing corridor could avoid some of the difficulties associated with constructing an entirely new alignment, the government will still need to demonstrate that the upgraded sections can handle increased traffic and remain reliable during periods of severe flooding. For communities and businesses along the corridor, the key issue will be whether the revised plan delivers dependable transport links without creating new bottlenecks or leaving vulnerable stretches exposed to recurring damage.

Ultimately, the success of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be measured not simply by its length or the scale of public investment, but by whether it delivers safer journeys, more efficient trade and lasting improvements to regional connectivity. The latest route change places that test squarely on the Federal Government’s ability to combine ambitious infrastructure development with sound engineering, transparent project costs and long-term climate resilience.