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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the proposed diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, demanding the immediate restoration of the project’s original coastal alignment.
The youth wing of PANDEF made the appeal in Benin on Tuesday while reacting to an announcement by the Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi, last week regarding plans to redesign and reroute the highway inland through Ondo State into Edo State, linking it to the existing East-West Road.
Addressing journalists at a press conference, PANDEF National Youth Leader, Chief DonBen Donyegha, described the proposed realignment as a departure from the original vision of the project, which was conceived to connect coastal communities across the littoral states.
Donyegha argued that rerouting the highway inland through the East-West Road would undermine the purpose of the project and further marginalise oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was presented as a transformative infrastructure project designed to improve connectivity among coastal states and communities, particularly those in the Niger Delta region.
He maintained that changing the route would amount to a betrayal of the expectations of littoral communities whose lands and natural resources contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy.
“These are the same riverine and coastal communities that have hosted oil production for decades, endured pollution, gas flaring and underdevelopment, and continue to supply the resources that keep the Nigerian economy afloat,” he said.
The PANDEF youth leader acknowledged that engineering challenges and construction costs in the Niger Delta were significant but insisted that such difficulties should not be used as justification for abandoning the coastal communities the project was intended to serve.
He noted that previous administrations had failed to adequately address the region’s connectivity challenges, adding that the decision to construct a coastal highway had initially generated widespread optimism among residents.
According to him, the proposed diversion has renewed concerns about the continued exclusion of oil-bearing communities from major infrastructure projects.
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“Diverting it now reopens the old wound of exclusion. This pattern of making the region that lays the golden eggs beg for what is rightfully its own is all too familiar,” Donyegha said.
He consequently demanded a complete return to the highway’s original coastal alignment across all affected sections.
He also called for transparent and documented consultations with host communities, state governments and other regional stakeholders before any further decisions are taken on the project’s realignment.
He further urged President Tinubu to personally intervene in the matter, reverse the proposed diversion and ensure that the highway retains its original coastal vision.
He also called for public assurances that every littoral oil-producing community originally earmarked to benefit from the project would still be connected through an appropriate coastal route.
He stressed that upgrading the existing East-West Road should not be considered a substitute for the coastal highway, arguing that the inland route would fail to deliver the specific benefits promised to riverine and coastal communities.
He warned that proceeding with the proposed realignment without addressing the concerns of affected communities could trigger avoidable reactions across the Niger Delta.
He cautioned that such developments could threaten the relative peace and security in the region, while also having political implications for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The oil-bearing communities of the Niger Delta are watching,” the group declared.
“They will not accept being written out of a project built on the wealth extracted from their land, nor will they continue to beg cap in hand for their rightful share,” he said.
