Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has strongly criticized the Lagos-Calabar Highway project initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing it as wasteful and riddled with corruption.
In his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, Obasanjo condemned the N15.6 trillion project, accusing Nigerian leaders of prioritizing personal enrichment over national development. He also labeled the construction of the Vice President’s official residence at a cost of N21 billion as an unnecessary expense, especially during economic hardship.
Obasanjo wrote: “Everything is said to be transactional, and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop.’ Typical examples of waste, corruption, and misplaced priorities are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, on which the President had turned a deaf ear to protests, and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn. What small minds!”
So far, Tinubu’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, has not responded to Obasanjo’s remarks.
The Lagos-Calabar Highway and the Vice President’s residence projects have sparked significant public debate. Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has also expressed concerns and called for the highway project’s suspension.
However, Tinubu’s administration has continued to defend the initiative. Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has repeatedly justified the project, recently announcing that 30 kilometers of the first 70-kilometer section will be completed by May 2025.
