Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has labelled the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project a “scam,” accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of lacking visible developmental achievements since assuming office.
Lawal made the remarks while speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired Friday on Channels Television.
“Their so-called coastal road is just a scam. Every Nigerian knows it is a scam,” Lawal said, adding that the project has already become controversial even before significant work commenced.
He claimed that despite billions in borrowings and budget allocations, Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of any major infrastructure projects under the Tinubu-led government.
“What projects has this government implemented that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives? I cannot see any,” Lawal said, adding that there were no ongoing works in northern or southwestern Nigeria, based on his frequent travels.
Lawal also dismissed the longstanding Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project as a “political talking point,” citing decades of repeated budgetary allocations without completion.
President Bola Tinubu flagged off the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in May 2025, a 30km stretch from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in Lagos. The full project is expected to span 700km along Nigeria’s southern coastline.
However, Lawal questioned the logic of borrowing externally to fund infrastructure that, in his view, does not benefit the Nigerian populace directly.
“You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there. I don’t understand. What can Nigerians see?” he said.
The Lagos-Calabar project, which has faced public scrutiny over displacement concerns and cost transparency, remains one of the Tinubu administration’s most ambitious infrastructural undertakings.
