The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has become more than just a road project—it is now the centre of a fierce war of words between former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, and President Bola Tinubu's Presidency, leaving many Nigerians asking one question: Who is telling the truth?
The latest controversy began after Duke, during an interview on Arise Television, cast doubt on the Federal Government's ability to complete the ambitious coastal highway. According to him, Nigeria's current economic realities do not justify embarking on such an expensive project.
The former governor argued that the country already has a road linking Lagos to Calabar and suggested that rehabilitating existing highways should take priority over constructing a new coastal route. He also questioned whether the project could realistically extend beyond Epe in Lagos State, pointing to the difficult swampy terrain across parts of the Niger Delta, especially Bayelsa State.
But the Presidency wasted no time in responding.
Reacting through his verified X account, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, dismissed Duke's remarks as misleading and politically motivated. He maintained that the former governor's comments did not reflect the reality of ongoing construction.
Ajayi said work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has already progressed beyond Epe into Ogun State, with construction also taking place simultaneously in other sections, including Ondo and Akwa Ibom States. He insisted that the project remains on track and accused critics of ignoring the progress already made.
The exchange has reignited public debate over one of the Tinubu administration's flagship infrastructure projects. While supporters see the highway as a game-changing investment capable of boosting trade, tourism and economic growth across Nigeria's coastal states, critics continue to question its cost, feasibility and priority at a time when many existing federal roads remain in poor condition.
With both camps refusing to back down, the debate has moved beyond politics into the court of public opinion, where Nigerians will ultimately judge whether Donald Duke's concerns are justified or whether the Presidency's assurances reflect the true state of the project.
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