Fatimah Otunsanya
The Federal Government has announced that the first 47-kilometre section of the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway will be opened to traffic in December 2025.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the highway on Sunday, stating that the opening is scheduled to take place between December 12 and 17.
He noted that both the government and the contractor are committed to completing this section of the 750-kilometre highway, which connects nine coastal states of the federation.
“This job must be completed. We are here on the president’s directive, working for the people, to ensure that the carriageway is opened for public use by December. We have agreed with the contractor, and that is what we are assessing now. Everything will be done to provide unfettered access from channel 0 to channel 47, up to channel 55; that is our intention,” Umahi said.
He added, “We have set aside the 12th to the 17th of next month to publicly open it for public use, without stopping the work. We have also set aside April next year to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 for full commissioning, excluding the bridges, which are part of the Section 2 contract. We are grateful to God Almighty for His mercies and for the President He has enabled to carry out this job. Also, the contractor is working to ensure that the entire Section 1 of the highway plus half of Section 2 will be completed by April 2026.”
In a turn of events, the minister revealed that a recent court ruling clarified the status of Okengwu Stella Winhomes’ claims on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, striking out her suit for lacking merit.
“The attention of the public has been drawn to the extensive media commentary surrounding the suit filed by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Winhomes Global Services Limited, Stella Okengwu, concerning the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Since initiating the action, Mrs Okengwu has made several public allegations against me, claiming that the highway route was diverted into a supposed Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos, thereby jeopardising investment said to be worth over $250m. However, what has been presented publicly as a ‘residential development’ is in substance only a gatehouse structure without further development on the site,” Umahi said.
He added, “Crucially, documents filed by Mrs Okengwu herself before the Federal High Court tell a different story from the narrative being circulated in the media. In the affidavit supporting the Originating Summons in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1803/2024, as well as in her further affidavit, she expressly deposed that Winhomes had sold the land in question to third parties. Having divested their interest in the property, the foundation of the company’s public assertions becomes fundamentally inconsistent with the position they presented before the court.”
Umahi further explained that the Federal High Court held that Mrs Okengwu and Winhomes Global Services Limited lacked the locus standi to institute the action, having admitted through their filings that they no longer held any proprietary interest in the land. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action against the defendants.
He said Okengwu was spreading misleading and false claims through media channels to scare foreign investors from investing in Nigeria.
“She has told several lies against the Minister of Works. She has been so wild in her negative comments against the good intentions of the Renewed Hope administration in revolutionising road infrastructure nationwide. The court of law has exposed her claims as mendacious and unfounded, and this goes to show she is no more than a troublemaker and false alarmist,” Umahi said.
He concluded by advising the public to disregard online allegations by Stella Okengwu regarding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.
The announcement of the highway’s December opening marks a key milestone in the federal government’s efforts to enhance Nigeria’s road infrastructure and connect the nation’s coastal regions efficiently.