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Ex-SGF calls Tinubu’s flagship highway project a “scam”
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Presidency dismisses allegation, says Lawal’s criticism is “cheap talk”
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Project backed by international financing, to link Lagos with Calabar in 8 years
The Presidency has slammed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, over his recent criticism of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, describing the high-profile road project as a “scam.”
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources, Lawal accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of pursuing “vanity projects” and failing to deliver visible infrastructure that benefits Nigerians.
“Their so-called coastal road is just a scam. Every Nigerian knows it is a scam. Even before they started, we knew it would be a scam, and it has become a scam,” Lawal said.
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Presidency Responds
In a sharp rebuttal on Saturday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Lawal’s comments as baseless and illogical.
“The only thing we can say is that he is not making sense. He is just involved in cheap talk,” Onanuga said.
He argued that the project enjoys significant international financial backing, including support from European and German banks.
“If top banks, including a German bank, are backing a project, should it look like a scam to any reasonable person?” he added.
Coastal Road Plan
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a flagship initiative of Tinubu’s administration, designed to link Victoria Island, Lagos to Calabar, Cross River State. The six-lane expressway, budgeted at $11 billion (₦15 trillion), will traverse nine coastal states and feature multiple bridges and service hubs.
According to Works Minister David Umahi, the project’s concrete pavement is designed to last 50 years and accommodate fibre-optic cabling and gas pipelines.
READ ALSO: Presidency Slams Lamido Over June 12 Claims, Defends Tinubu’s Pro-Democracy Role
In May, Tinubu commissioned the first 30km stretch of the road on Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village in Lekki Peninsula, Lagos.
However, Lawal dismissed the milestone as insignificant. “You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there. So, what can Nigerians see?” he queried.
The Presidency countered this narrative, maintaining that the project will transform transportation and drive economic growth across the South-West and South-South regions.
