The Federal Government has stated that the initial 47-kilometre stretch of the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway will be ready for public use by December 2025.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known during his inspection of the highway on Sunday, confirming that the opening is slated for between December 12 and 17.
He said both the government and the contractor are dedicated to finishing this portion of the 750-kilometre project linking nine coastal states in 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.”
Court ruling, ownership dispute
In a new development, the minister explained that a recent court judgment addressed the claims made by Okengwu Stella Winhomes over the Lagos–Calabar highway, dismissing her case 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 stated that the Federal High Court ruled that Mrs Okengwu and Winhomes Global Services Limited lacked the legal standing to pursue the matter after confirming through their own submissions that they no longer had ownership rights. He said the court found that they failed to present a valid claim against the authorities.
He said Okengwu had been spreading misleading narratives through the media to discourage international investors from engaging 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 urging the public to ignore online allegations made by Stella Okengwu about the Lagos–Calabar coastal project.
The announcement of the December opening signals a major step in the federal government’s efforts to improve national road infrastructure and strengthen connectivity across Nigeria’s coastal corridor.
