The Convener of Warri Reclamation Thrust and former National Executive of the Itsekiri National Youths Council (INYC), Comrade Tsaye Mene, has condemned the Federal Government's decision to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway away from the original coastal alignment, describing the move as an injustice against the Itsekiri, Ilaje and Ijaw people of the Niger Delta.

Mene expressed concern that the decision to redirect the highway inland through Edo State to connect with the existing East-West Road could undermine the project's original objective of opening up Nigeria's coastal communities to economic development, improved transportation and investment.

She argued that the oil-producing communities of Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa states, which contribute significantly to Nigeria's economy, risk being excluded from the benefits of a major infrastructure project expected to improve connectivity along the southern coastline.

The controversy follows the recent defence of the route change by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who explained that the original alignment in Ondo State presented significant engineering challenges, including deep pits, unsuitable construction materials and increased costs.

Umahi maintained that the revised route was an engineering decision intended to overcome difficult terrain, protect public funds and improve connectivity across the region.

However, Mene has challenged the decision, insisting that bypassing coastal communities would defeat the purpose for which the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was conceived.

'A Coastal Road Must Follow the Coast'

In a statement condemning the development, Mene described the diversion as an insult to the Itsekiri, Ilaje and Ijaw people, arguing that the communities should not be excluded from infrastructure development despite their contributions to the nation's oil wealth.

"It is shocking and insulting that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which was originally designed to follow the coastline through Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa oil-rich coastal communities, will now detour inland through Edo State to connect to the East-West Road," she said.

According to her, the original coastal alignment was intended to open up communities that have suffered decades of neglect despite their contribution to Nigeria's economy.

Mene argued that the road should serve as a major development corridor for coastal settlements that continue to face transportation difficulties, environmental challenges and limited access to economic opportunities.

She warned that redirecting the highway inland could leave many of these communities without the direct benefits they expected from the project.

"This decision has largely destroyed the major purpose of the Coastal Road, which is to open up the coastal, oil-producing, and most marginalised communities in Nigeria and bring development, industry, and hope to people who have suffered decades of neglect despite producing the wealth of the nation," she stated.

She added that using national resources to construct a highway while bypassing the communities whose oil production contributes to government revenue would deepen perceptions of exclusion in the Niger Delta.

Mene Challenges Tinubu Government Over Coastal Development

The Niger Delta leader also criticised the Federal Government's approach to the project, arguing that the revised alignment could have wider social and economic implications for coastal communities.

While acknowledging that the government had cited engineering considerations to justify the diversion, Mene maintained that infrastructure planning should also account for the developmental needs of communities along the coastline.

"Mr Umahi may describe it as a wonderful engineering decision by Mr President, but for us on the coast, it is a terrible social and economic decision that will deepen poverty, insecurity, and the feeling of exclusion," she said.

Mene appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the decision and ensure that the original objective of the coastal highway was not abandoned.

"We are appealing to Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to do the needful and keep his promise to the people. A Coastal Road must follow the coast. It must not become another East-West Road rehabilitation project rebranded as Coastal Road," She declared.

Her position places the Federal Government's engineering justification under renewed public scrutiny, particularly regarding how the revised route will affect communities that expected the project to provide direct access to markets, industries and other economic opportunities.

The Original Route Mene Wants Restored

Mene called for the restoration of the original coastal alignment through Ilaje communities in Ondo State and oil-producing settlements in Delta and Bayelsa states.

She specifically identified the proposed route as passing through Araromi, Ugbonla, Awoye, Ilepete, Ikorigho, Obe-Rewoye and Odonla before extending to Ogheye, Orere, Escravos, Ugborodo and the Escravos terminal.

According to her proposal, the road should continue through Forcados in Warri and Burutu in Delta State before extending towards the Bayelsa border and the Nembe area.

She argued that this alignment would better reflect the project's coastal character and bring infrastructure closer to communities that have long struggled with inadequate road access.

Mene further stressed that coastal settlements facing sea incursion and other environmental challenges required targeted infrastructure investments rather than being bypassed by a project intended to improve connectivity along Nigeria's coastline.

"If this new agenda is allowed, it abandons the very communities that suffer sea incursion, lack roads but produce the oil which funds this all-important project," she said.

She maintained that the highway should be designed to create opportunities for coastal residents rather than merely improve existing inland road connections.

What Umahi Said About the Diversion

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, recently defended the Federal Government's decision to alter the Ondo section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, citing difficult terrain and the need to avoid excessive construction costs.

According to Umahi, parts of the original alignment passed through areas with pits exceeding 100 metres in depth, while suitable sharp sand was unavailable in some locations for up to 300 metres.

He argued that constructing the road through such terrain would significantly increase the cost and complexity of the project.

The minister explained that the government therefore redesigned the route to avoid the difficult sections and subsequently directed that the continuation from Ondo into Edo should connect with the existing East-West Road.

Umahi also said the decision would allow the government to address flooding concerns along vulnerable sections of the road and improve connectivity around Benin City through the proposed Benin Bypass.

The minister has maintained that the decision was based on engineering considerations rather than political interests.

The diversion affects Sections 4A and 4B of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, covering approximately 67 kilometres across Ogun and Ondo states.

Umahi's explanation has, however, not resolved the wider debate over the extent to which the revised alignment will serve coastal communities in Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

Questions Over the Economic Benefits to the Niger Delta

The dispute has reopened questions about the relationship between infrastructure spending, oil-producing communities and regional development in the Niger Delta.

For communities that have historically raised concerns about poor road networks, environmental degradation and limited access to economic opportunities, the coastal highway represents more than a transportation project.

Its route could determine which communities gain improved access to commercial centres, industrial facilities, tourism opportunities and other economic activities.

Mene's criticism centres on whether the revised alignment will adequately address those expectations or leave some coastal settlements outside the project's direct reach.

At the same time, the Federal Government's position raises important questions about the additional construction costs and engineering risks associated with the original route.

A comprehensive assessment of the competing positions would require the government to provide clear information on the original and revised alignments, comparative construction costs, environmental considerations, projected economic benefits and the communities expected to benefit from each option.

Such information would help residents and stakeholders determine whether the route change represents a necessary engineering adjustment, a missed opportunity for coastal development, or a combination of both.

Will Tinubu Reconsider the Coastal Highway Route?

Mene's appeal to President Tinubu adds to the public debate over the direction of one of the administration's flagship infrastructure projects.

While Umahi has defended the diversion as a decision intended to protect public funds and overcome difficult terrain, Mene insists that engineering considerations should not overshadow the highway's broader development objectives.

The central question remains whether the Federal Government can balance the technical demands of road construction with the need to connect oil-producing coastal communities that have long demanded improved infrastructure.

For the Itsekiri, Ilaje and Ijaw communities identified by Mene, the controversy is about whether the coastal highway will deliver the access and economic opportunities they expected or leave them watching a major federal infrastructure project pass elsewhere.

As the debate intensifies, the Federal Government faces growing questions about the revised route, the communities that stand to benefit and whether the original promise of opening up Nigeria's coastal areas can still be fulfilled.

HSN will continue to follow developments surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the implications of the revised alignment for coastal communities across the Niger Delta.