Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has labelled the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway being constructed by the President Bola Tinubu administration as a ‘scam.’
Lawal made the allegation while appearing on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, aired on Channels Television on Friday, July 11, 2025.
The former SGF also said, despite the government’s claims of ongoing projects across the country, there are no visible implementations that Nigerians could point to, concluding that the administration has failed to work for the people.
“If you ask me, ‘What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives?’ I cannot see any. At least in northern Nigeria, where I am a frequent traveller, for example, I don’t see any road that they are constructing or rehabilitating. In the South-West, I don’t think there is any.
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“They are still talking about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which it appears every government talks about and votes money for, and it never goes anywhere. 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,” he said.
Lawal condemns borrowing for the coastal road
The erstwhile SGF also joined the league of those opposed to borrowings for the road project, arguing that the government has no tangible projects to justify the debts.
His criticism followed the recent report that the Federal Government had secured a $747 million loan to finance the 700km road project.
“You borrow money from Europe, and before it comes, it is spent over there.,So, I don’t understand. What can Nigerians see?” he asked.
“It has become such that the President can go and commission 30 kilometres of a 700km road — which has even become a source of controversy. So, what are they doing with our money?”
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway construction has continued to attract criticism from opposition leaders, including the Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
However, the Tinubu administration has defended the project, which is estimated to cost ₦15 trillion, saying it is a strategic investment that would stimulate the economy.
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In May, President Tinubu commissioned a 30km section of the road, which stretches from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Village Area in the Lekki Peninsula.
