The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has confirmed that funding for the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project was included in the 2025 appropriation bill, addressing earlier concerns about its exclusion.

President Bola Tinubu had presented a N49.7 trillion budget proposal to the National Assembly in December 2024, and since then, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) have been defending their allocations before lawmakers.

However, BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation advocating transparency, flagged the absence of funding for the Lagos-Calabar road, sparking widespread social media reactions. Criticism mounted over the federal government?s demolition of properties to pave the way for the project despite the alleged lack of funding.

Clarifying the situation, Umahi stated during the inauguration of the Abuja-Kaduna road rehabilitation on Thursday that the project was mistakenly listed in the budget as the ?Lagos-Port Harcourt coastal highway? instead of the ?Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.?

?We are interfacing with the committee chairman to correct it. It is a mistake,? Umahi said.

Checks show that N100,000,000 was budgeted for a line item tagged as ?Lagos-Port Harcourt coastal highway? with the status as ?ongoing?.

In February 2024, the Federal Executive Council approved the construction of the Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar highway, awarding the contract to Hitech Construction Africa, owned by Gilbert Chagoury. Construction began in March 2024 in the Lagos axis, and President Tinubu officially flagged off the 700-kilometer project in May 2024.

The project, estimated to cost N4 billion per kilometre, follows an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC+) funding structure, requiring federal government contributions rather than a public-private partnership. The demolition of multi-million naira properties to make way for construction has sparked controversy, with many questioning the government?s planning and compensation measures.

Umahi?s clarification aims to dispel concerns and ensure that the ambitious infrastructure project proceeds as planned, promising to strengthen regional connectivity and economic growth. (AriseNews TV: Text, Excluding Headline)

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