Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the reported realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, warning that Ondo and Delta states must not lose the development opportunities promised by the project.
Adegboruwa made the appeal in a statement addressed to the President on Monday, October 12, urging him to call the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to order and ensure that the highway’s original coastal development objectives are not undermined during implementation.
The lawyer argued that the highway was conceived as a major economic corridor connecting communities and commercial centres along Nigeria’s Atlantic coastline. He said any decision to move sections of the route inland and away from coastal settlements raised questions about access, investment and the distribution of the project’s benefits.
He expressed concern that communities in Ondo and Delta states, particularly those whose livelihoods depend on fishing, maritime activities, tourism and agriculture, could miss out on economic opportunities if the revised alignment bypasses them.
According to Adegboruwa, the issue goes beyond the physical location of the road to whether the project will deliver meaningful development to the coastal communities it was intended to serve.
He acknowledged that the Federal Government had cited difficult terrain, weak subsoil conditions, construction costs and flood resilience as factors in reviewing parts of the route. However, he maintained that such challenges should lead to a careful assessment of alternatives rather than the loss of coastal access without sufficient justification.
Adegboruwa called for an independent technical review of the reported realignment, including an examination of the original design, revised route, engineering considerations and financial implications.
He also urged the Federal Ministry of Works to publish details of the approved route and identify the coastal communities that would benefit directly from the highway and those that could be bypassed.
The lawyer further called for consultations involving the Federal Government, the governments of Ondo and Delta states, traditional rulers, community representatives, engineers, environmental experts and investors before major route changes are finalised.
He said the review should compare the proposed routes in terms of construction and maintenance costs, journey times, environmental impact, climate resilience, employment opportunities and long-term economic benefits.
Adegboruwa also urged the government to consider retaining a viable coastal alignment wherever technically, environmentally and economically feasible. For communities that cannot be served directly by the final route, he proposed complementary access roads and supporting infrastructure to prevent them from being excluded from the project’s benefits.
While stressing that engineering and safety considerations must be taken seriously, he said the government should balance them with the highway’s original objectives and the development needs of affected communities.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major Federal Government infrastructure project intended to improve transportation and economic connections across Nigeria’s coastal states. Adegboruwa said its success should be measured not only by the kilometres completed but also by its contribution to regional development, national integration and the welfare of communities along the corridor.
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