The Federal Government has announced that the first 47-kilometre stretch of the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway will be opened to traffic in December 2025.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the project on Sunday, noting that the opening is scheduled between December 12 and 17. He said both the government and the contractor are committed to delivering the section of the 750-kilometre highway, which will connect nine coastal states.
“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,” Umahi stated.
He added that the government has set aside April 2026 to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 for full commissioning, excluding bridges. “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,” he said.
On legal disputes surrounding the project, Umahi revealed that a recent Federal High Court ruling struck out a suit filed by Stella Okengwu, CEO of Winhomes Global Services Limited, for lacking merit.
He explained that Okengwu had alleged the highway route was diverted into a Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos, jeopardising investments worth over $250 million. However, Umahi said court documents showed Winhomes had already sold the land in question to third parties, undermining its claims.
“The 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,” Umahi noted.
He accused Okengwu of spreading false claims to discourage foreign investors. “She has told several lies against the Minister of Works… 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.
Umahi urged the public to disregard online allegations against the project, stressing that the December opening marks a major milestone in the government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s road infrastructure and strengthen connectivity across coastal regions.
