Coastal communities fault diversion of Lagos-Calabar road
Warri Reclamation Thrust and the Itsekiri National Youths Council, INYC, have faulted the decision to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project away from the coastline after Lagos and Ogun states. Convener of Warri…
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a federal government infrastructure project conceived to link Lagos to Calabar via a route hugging Nigeria's southern coastline, passing through Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. It has been promoted as a major economic corridor that would open up coastal communities, boost trade and tourism, and improve connectivity across the South-South and South-West regions, but it has also drawn controversy over its cost, environmental impact on wetlands and mangroves, and the manner of contract award and route selection.
Communities and groups in the Niger Delta, including the Warri Reclamation Thrust and the Itsekiri National Youths Council, have now raised objections to reports that the highway's alignment veers inland after passing through Lagos and Ogun states rather than continuing along the coastline through Delta and other riverine areas. Their complaint reflects longstanding concerns among Niger Delta communities about being bypassed by major federal infrastructure despite the region's contribution to national oil revenue, and raises questions about who decided on the revised route, what consultations were held with affected communities, and whether the project will still deliver the coastal access and development benefits originally promised.