The construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has faced ongoing criticism. Nevertheless, the Tinubu administration has defended this initiative, which is projected to cost ₦15 trillion, asserting that it represents a strategic investment aimed at stimulating the economy.
In May, President Tinubu inaugurated a 30km segment of the road, which extends from Ahmadu Bello Way to the Eleko Village Area in the Lekki Peninsula.
However, notable opposition figures, including Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election, have voiced their disapproval of the project. Recently, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, a significant opposition leader, has also criticized the initiative, labeling the coastal highway as a ‘scam’.
The former SGF further remarked that, despite the government’s assertions regarding ongoing projects across the nation, there are no tangible implementations that Nigerians can identify, ultimately concluding that the administration has not acted in the best interests of the populace.
Lawal made these claims during a program on Channels Television on Friday, July 11, 2025. The former SGF stated:
“If you ask me, ‘What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives?’ I cannot see any. At least in northern Nigeria, where I am a frequent traveller, for example, I don’t see any road that they are constructing or rehabilitating. In the Southwest, I don’t think there is any.
“They are still talking about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which it appears every government talks about and votes money for, and it never goes anywhere. Their so-called coastal road is just a scam. Every Nigerian knows it is a scam. Even before they started, we knew it would be a scam, and it has become a scam,” he said.
Following a report that the Federal Government secured a $747 million loan to finance the 700km road project, Babachir Lawal also opposed the borrowings for the road project, arguing that the government has no tangible projects to show for the debts being incurred.
“You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there. So, I don’t understand. What can Nigerians see?” he asked.
“It has become such that the President can go and commission 30 kilometres of a 700km road — which has even become a source of controversy. So, what are they doing with our money?”
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