South-South governors have rejected plans to realign sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to merge with the existing East-West Road, insisting that the two projects should be treated as separate infrastructure developments.
Bayelsa State Governor and Chairman of the South-South Governors’ Forum, Douye Diri, disclosed the position of the governors while speaking during the 200th session of the Bayelsa State Executive Council in Yenagoa.
Diri said the governors were unanimous in their support for the coastal highway in its original coastal alignment and opposed any move that would make the East-West Road a replacement for the project.
The governor said he had personally contacted the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, to express his disagreement with the reported realignment.
According to Diri, while the East-West Road requires reconstruction, that project should not take the place of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“I agree with you that the East-West Road should be reconstructed. It is called the East-West Road, but its reconstruction should not replace the coastal road,” Diri said.
He maintained that the coastal highway had already generated strong expectations among communities across the South-South region and should continue along its intended route.
The development follows recent comments by Umahi that President Bola Tinubu had directed that sections of the coastal highway should be routed through the existing East-West Road, particularly from Ondo into Edo State. Umahi has since clarified that the government is not abandoning the coastal highway but intends to add about 400 kilometres of the East-West Road to the broader infrastructure project.
The proposed changes have generated concerns among communities and regional stakeholders who fear that some coastal settlements in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers could be excluded from the economic benefits of the highway.
The National Youth Wing of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Ijaw Youth Council have also opposed the proposed diversion, calling for the original coastal route to be maintained.
The controversy has also reached the National Assembly. The House of Representatives recently called on the Federal Government to review the proposed realignment and retain the original concept of the highway, while requesting that the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment be submitted for scrutiny.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was conceived as a major transportation corridor linking communities and economic centres along Nigeria’s Atlantic coastline. The Federal Government has defended adjustments to parts of the route on the grounds of difficult terrain, flooding, weak subsoil conditions and climate-related risks.
The South-South governors, however, maintain that reconstruction of the East-West Road and development of the coastal highway can proceed as complementary projects rather than one replacing the other.