FG Opens Dialogue with Diaspora Investors Over Lagos-Calabar Highway Demolitions

The Federal Government has begun talks with Nigerian diaspora investors whose properties were affected by the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Spokesperson for the investors, Stella Okengwu, confirmed in a statement on Monday that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, met with representatives of the Coalition for Civil Society of Nigeria on August 6 in Abuja, where he announced a new channel of dialogue for the aggrieved parties. She added that further meetings between top government officials and delegates of the affected investors are expected soon.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in May, is one of the administration’s flagship infrastructure projects. However, its route diversion triggered public outcry and litigation, particularly after the demolition of the $250 million WinHomes Estate in Okun Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government, in October 2024. Residents and indigenes of the area had staged several protests against the exercise, alleging lack of due process and compensation.

Okengwu described the government’s decision to open dialogue as a “defining moment for reconciliation,” noting that it signals Nigeria’s seriousness about protecting foreign direct investment, especially from its own citizens abroad. She also praised the role of civil society groups in mediating the standoff, describing their intervention as a demonstration of the power of civic engagement in nation-building.

Clarifying that the diaspora investors are not opposed to government projects, Okengwu stressed that they are development partners. “Our $250 million WinHomes Estates project in Okun Ajah was not built for speculation but to create jobs, restore confidence, and contribute to Nigeria’s growth,” she said.

She lamented that the demolition eroded investor trust and disrupted livelihoods, but maintained that the protest had always been about fairness, restitution, and the rule of law. She urged the government to compensate affected subscribers and provide stronger guarantees for future diaspora-backed investments.