Lagos-Calabar coastal highway one of Tinubu’s best gifts to Nigeria – Onanuga

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as one of President Bola Tinubu’s “best gifts” to the country.

The presidential aide stated that the project has already begun to cut commuting time for motorists.

Onanuga stated this in a post on his official X handle on Friday, where he shared his experience of travelling from Ajah in Lagos to Isaac John Street in Ikeja using a section of the newly constructed coastal road.

“Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of President Bola Tinubu’s best gifts to Nigeria. Those who have condemned this historic project will be ashamed of themselves when the Tinubu administration completes the road,” he said.

Onanuga explained that Google Maps initially projected the trip at two and a half hours, but with the coastal route, it took him only about 65 minutes to complete the journey.

“In less than 25 minutes, we arrived at the Ahmadu Bello end of the road. Except for the traffic snarl at the MRS fuel station caused by motorists queuing for Dangote petrol, the journey to Ikeja was smooth sailing,” he wrote.

Onanuga argued that critics of the project would eventually be “ashamed of themselves” when the highway is completed, praising President Tinubu as the “visioner and dreamer” of the project and commending the contractors for their quality of work.

He, however, clarified that the coastal road was not yet fully open to traffic construction as work continues on the Lagos segment of the road, with parts already in partial use.

PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu had in May 2025 flagged off the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a transformative project that would boost economic growth, improve connectivity, and open up coastal communities.

The road, designed to pass through nine states with spurs into the northern region, is to be executed in phases.

The project has, however, been mired in controversy. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the award of the contract, alleging that it lacked transparency and was handed to Hitech Construction Company without competitive bidding.

Atiku also faulted the cost implications, describing the process as “opaque” and unfair to Nigerians.

The Peoples Democratic Party also accused the government of insensitivity, faulting the demolition of businesses, hotels, and residential buildings along the Lekki corridor to clear the path for the project.

Civil society organisations and affected residents raised similar concerns, particularly about displacement and inadequate compensation.

Some opposition voices also questioned the government’s priorities, arguing that funds would have been better channelled into completing the East-West Road in the Niger Delta, which has been under construction for nearly two decades.

However, the Federal Government has consistently defended the project, insisting that due process was followed and that the highway would deliver long-term socio-economic benefits, including regional integration, job creation, and improved access to coastal cities.(Punch)