Photo File: Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde. Credit: Oyo State Govt

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has criticised the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for his response to questions regarding the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project approved by President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking in a viral video on Friday, Makinde said there was no need for the minister to “dance around the cost” of the multi-trillion-naira project when Nigerians simply wanted transparency.

The governor’s comments followed a heated on-air exchange between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday, during which the journalist had asked the minister to provide a cost breakdown of the project on a per-kilometre basis.

The question appeared to irk Umahi, who dismissed it as “elementary”, insisting that road construction costs differ from kilometre to kilometre depending on the terrain and materials used.

“These are elementary questions,” Umahi had said. “How can you be asking for the cost per kilometre? The prices are different. I’m a professor in this field; you have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

Oseni, however, refused to back down, replying, “Minister, it’s alright. Keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

Reacting to the controversy, Makinde defended Oseni’s line of questioning, describing it as legitimate and necessary for accountability.

“They asked a minister how much the coastal road costs, and he’s dancing around it,” Makinde said. “When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road, it cost about ₦9.99 billion for roughly 35 kilometres — about ₦238 million per kilometre.
When we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, which is 76 kilometres, it cost ₦43 billion — an average of ₦500 million per kilometre — and that included two bridges. So, what is the average cost of the coastal highway?”

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a 700-kilometre project spanning nine states, with additional spurs connecting northern routes. The project, handled by Hitech Construction Company Limited, is being built with concrete pavement, and its first phase — covering 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway — has already commenced.

According to a statement issued last year by Umahi’s media aide, Uchenna Orji, the minister had emphasised that the Federal Government would not entertain cost variations arising from delays, warning contractors to deliver within record time.

The project has continued to attract public scrutiny over its transparency, displacement concerns, and perceived high cost, despite government assurances of due process.