David Umahi, the minister of works, has clarified that funding for the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project is included in the 2025 appropriation bill, despite earlier concerns.
In December 2024, President Bola Tinubu presented a N49.7 trillion budget proposal for 2025 to the national assembly. Heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) have since been defending their budget allocations before lawmakers.
In January, BudgIT, a civic-tech organization advocating for transparency, reported that the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project was omitted from the 2025 budget. The claim led to mixed reactions on social media, with many questioning why properties were demolished to pave the way for the project if it wasn’t funded.
Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration of rehabilitation works on the Abuja-Kaduna road, Umahi clarified that the omission was due to a labeling error in the budget document.
“I think there was a little error. What you have in the budget is Lagos-Port Harcourt coastal highway,” Umahi said. “It is supposed to be the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway. We are interfacing with the committee chairman to correct it. It is a mistake.”
The minister emphasized that his ministry is working closely with the national assembly to resolve the issue and ensure the project is properly represented.
A review by TheCable shows that N100 million was allocated for a line item titled “Lagos-Port Harcourt coastal highway,” marked as “ongoing,” confirming the presence of funding despite the mislabeling.
