Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: Umahi Dares Makinde to Debate, Demands Withdrawal of Comment

Here’s aThe Minister of Works, David Umahi, has challenged Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to either withdraw his comments on the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project or engage him in a public debate on the matter.

Umahi, who spoke during an inspection of the Abuja–Mararaba–Keffi Road in the company of Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, said Makinde’s remarks reflected a misunderstanding of engineering principles and project costing.

> “I have a lot of respect for governors and the Governors’ Forum, but if a governor who is my junior in both engineering and governance insults me, I will respond. One thing I am very good at is Mathematics, i was an ‘A’ student,” Umahi said.


Addressing the controversy over the cost per kilometre of the Lagos-Calabar project, Umahi said such figures cannot be determined without full consideration of design variations, materials, and scope of work.

> “It is mischievous to talk about cost per kilometre without context. This project was initially 43 kilometres but has been extended to 45 kilometres using the N73 billion allocation by the last administration,” he explained.

According to the minister, construction costs vary depending on the material used.

> “If we use surface dressing on the shoulders, the cost differs. Using asphalt or concrete, as we are currently doing, also changes the figures,” he added.

Umahi further explained that final project costs can only be determined after completion, taking into account contingencies and price variations.

> “When a project is completed, you remove unused contingencies and price variations. Only then can you calculate an average cost. Whether it’s N40 billion or N70 billion for 50 kilometres, that’s when a realistic figure emerges,” he said.


Responding directly to Makinde’s earlier criticism, Umahi noted that while he holds the Oyo governor in high regard, his comments were unfounded.

> “Governor Makinde is my friend and brother, but he should withdraw his statement that I am ‘dancing around.’ I never danced around. If he insists, he should come for a debate that’s very important,” Umahi said.

> “He is an engineer, but in electrical or electronic engineering. This is road construction and that’s my field. I am his senior both in governance and in engineering practice. So, if there’s something he doesn’t understand, he should ask me directly,” the minister added.


Umahi also addressed issues of road encroachment and traffic congestion during the inspection, noting that roadside trading on federal roads contributes significantly to gridlock.

> “We discovered serious encroachments on the Keffi corridor. If the Nasarawa governor carries out the needed demolitions to create an additional carriageway, the Federal Government will fix the section to ease traffic,” he said.

The exchange between Umahi and Makinde follows the minister’s appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he declined to provide a specific per-kilometre cost for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road. His interaction with the programme’s anchor, Rufai Oseni, has since stirred public debate on project transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s infrastructure sector.