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The former Federation Government Secretary (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has launched a spicy criticism of the administration of the Tinubu Bola President, labeling the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project which is famous as a “fraud” and accused the government of failing to provide tangible development to Nigeria.
Lawal made a statement during the appearance at the source -source inside with Laolu Akande, broadcast on Channels Television on Friday. He expressed disappointment in what he described as the lack of visible infrastructure projects, especially in the northern and southwest regions of the country.
“If you ask me what projects have been implemented by the government so far that have been seen and have an impact on Nigerians, I cannot identify anything,” he said. “In northern Nigeria, where I often travel, there is no road that is being built or rehabilitation. The same thing applies to the southwest. They are still talking about the freeway of lagos-abandan obstacles, the point of no end to the government in a row.”
He was very critical of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project, which he described as “fraud from the start.”
“Even before they started, we knew it would not mean anything. Every Nigerian knew it was a fraud. And now, it has become exactly like that,” he said.
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Lawal also condemned the practice of government loans, questioning the death and transparency to secure foreign loans without proven results.
“You borrow money from Europe, and before arriving, spent abroad. What can Nigerians see? What is on the ground?” He asked. “The President’s Commission is only 30 kilometers from the 700 kilometer road, and even it is full of controversy. So, what do they do with our money?”
In May 2024, President Tinubu inaugurated the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar beach road, stretching 30 kilometers from Jalan Ahmadu Bello to the Eleko Village area in Lagos. The full 700 kilometer project is estimated to cost ₦ 15 trillion. Only a few weeks after commissioning, the federal government received a loan of $ 747 million to support the project, a decision that had attracted widespread reactions.
The project was criticized by the opposition, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Presidential Candidate Labor Party Peter Obi, who had questioned transparency, priority, and initiative scale. Critics argue that the road is a luxury that cannot be bought by the state in the midst of determining economic conditions and decaying infrastructure that extends elsewhere.
In addition to political opposition, this project has triggered legal disputes and compensation. Property owners whose homes and businesses were destroyed to provide ways for the road to protest and demand adequate compensation from the Federal Government.
Although there is an increase in criticism, the Tinubu government has stated that the Lagos-Calabar coastal is an important infrastructure investment that will produce long-term economic benefits.
In December 2024, Minister of Work David Umahi defended the project during a meeting with the Senate Committee on work.
“When people stop suspicion and digest the coastal road project very well, they will know it is a catalyst for the growth of each state in this country,” Umahi said.
