Makinde Faults Umahi for ‘Dancing Around’ Cost of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has criticised Minister of Works David Umahi for refusing to provide a clear breakdown of the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, questioning the transparency of the multibillion-naira project.

Makinde, an electrical engineer, made the comments in a viral video from an event on Friday, saying there was no justification for Umahi to be “dancing around the cost” of a project approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

His remarks followed a heated on-air exchange between Umahi and ARISE News presenter Rufai Oseni, who had asked the minister to disclose the cost of the 700-kilometre coastal highway on a per-kilometre basis.

The question appeared to irritate Umahi, who described himself as a “professor of practice” in engineering and dismissed the inquiry as “elementary.”

“How can you be asking for cost per kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre,” Umahi said during the interview, adding, “Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field.”

Oseni, visibly displeased, responded: “Minister, it’s alright. Keep dignifying yourself and let the world know who you truly are.”

Makinde Defends the Journalist

Reacting to the exchange, Makinde defended the journalist’s question and argued that the public deserves transparency on how taxpayer funds are being spent.

“They asked a minister how much the coastal road is, and then you are dancing around, saying the next kilometre is different from the next kilometre. Then what is the average cost?” Makinde said.

Drawing from his own experience as a governor, Makinde compared the project with state-funded roadworks in Oyo State:

“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road, it was about ₦9.99 billion for roughly 35 kilometres — an average of ₦238 million per kilometre.

For Iseyin to Ogbomoso, which was 76 kilometres and cost ₦43 billion, the average was around ₦500 million per kilometre — and that included two bridges.”

About the Lagos-Calabar Project

The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, a flagship infrastructure project of the Tinubu administration, will span nine states and include two northern link routes.

During the handover of the first 47.47-kilometre phase to Hitech Construction Company Limited, Minister Umahi announced that the highway would be built with concrete pavement, describing it as a durable and long-term investment in national infrastructure.

However, questions around cost transparency and procurement details continue to generate public debate, with critics like Makinde urging the federal government to make the figures public.