Ijaw Youths Reject Proposed Realignment of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has rejected any move to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from its original coastal route, warning that the decision could deprive several Niger Delta states of the project’s expected economic benefits.

The council made its position public on Thursday, October 15, 2026, during a press conference at Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The event was addressed by the council’s National President, Dr Doubra Okotete, alongside members of its national executive committee.

The controversy followed statements attributed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, suggesting that part of the highway could be redirected towards the existing East-West Road rather than continuing along the originally planned coastal corridor.

The IYC said it would resist any attempt to alter the route in a manner that excludes Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states from the planned coastal connection.

Why the Ijaw Youth Council is opposing the move

The council argued that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was conceived as more than a transportation project. In its view, the highway is also intended to open up coastal communities, improve access to markets and stimulate investment in parts of the Niger Delta that have historically faced infrastructure challenges.

It maintained that the region’s difficult terrain should not be used as justification for abandoning the original alignment, particularly given the Niger Delta’s contribution to Nigeria’s oil and gas revenues.

The IYC cited several existing road and bridge projects in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states as evidence that infrastructure can be developed in riverine and swampy environments with adequate engineering and planning.

IYC calls on Tinubu to intervene

The council urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Works to retain the original coastal alignment, which it says was approved by the Federal Executive Council.

It also demanded the public release of the approved designs and engineering drawings for the entire highway, alongside the immediate commencement of construction in the Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers sections.

The IYC further called for work to proceed alongside construction on the Lagos–Ondo and Cross River–Akwa Ibom sections, arguing that development should advance across the project’s different corridors rather than leave the Niger Delta behind.

Political implications ahead of 2027

The council warned that changing the route could weaken the Federal Government’s relationship with communities across the South-South ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It argued that expectations of federal infrastructure development had grown following the moves by Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The IYC cautioned that communities expecting tangible development benefits could become dissatisfied if the highway failed to serve their areas as originally anticipated.

The council expressed its position in a pointed message to the administration: “You cannot seek our votes while taking away our roads.”

Federal Government’s position

The dispute comes amid competing explanations of the proposed route changes. Umahi has cited difficult terrain, flooding, climate-change risks and engineering considerations in defending the use of the existing East-West Road for part of the corridor.

However, the minister subsequently insisted that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had not been abandoned and that surveying and engineering work was continuing across Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states.

The key issue is therefore whether the government’s final engineering plans will preserve the highway’s intended coastal connections while addressing the construction challenges identified by the ministry.

For the Ijaw Youth Council and other Niger Delta stakeholders, transparency over the approved route, the engineering assessments and the communities that will benefit from the project will be crucial to resolving the controversy.