‘Be ready for public debate’: Umahi replies Makinde over Coastal Highway cost

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has defended the cost of the ongoing Mararaba–Keffi road dualisation project, insisting that the cost per kilometre cannot be uniformly applied to all road projects due to varying construction methods, materials, and terrain.

Umahi made the clarification during an inspection tour of the project in Nasarawa State, alongside Governor Abdullahi Sule, on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

The project, executed by China Harbour Engineering Company under the Tax Credit Scheme, aims to ease the heavy traffic flow between Abuja and Nasarawa.

Reacting to comments by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who had accused him of “dancing around figures” on project costs, Umahi said such remarks were uncalled for and not grounded in technical understanding.

The minister stated: “When my brother and friend, Governor Seyi Makinde, said I was ‘dancing around figures,’ I chose not to respond disrespectfully.

“He is an engineer, and I am also one — in fact, his senior both in governance and engineering practice.

“I urge him to withdraw that statement. But if he insists, he should be ready for a public debate.”

‘You’re dancing around’: Makinde slams Umahi over Coastal Highway cost analysis

He further explained that the total cost of the 43-kilometre project — expanded to about 45 kilometres — was pegged at N73 billion by the previous administration.

Umahi noted that the cost per kilometre depends on the type of material used, whether asphalt, surface dressing, or rigid concrete pavement.

Umahi added: “It is mischievous to generalise road costs without considering materials and design specifications.

“If we are doing surface dressing on the shoulder, the cost will differ. If it’s asphalt, it will differ again, and if it’s concrete, as in this case, it will still differ. The estimated cost includes contingency and variation of price, which may not even be used.”

Umahi stated that only after completion could the true average cost per kilometre be determined.

He added that even artificial intelligence-based estimation tools affirmed his explanation.

The minister said: “There is no ambiguity in cost computation.

“Estimated cost is provisional, while average cost is definitive. That is what I explained, and that’s standard engineering practice. By the grace of God, I’ve earned my professorial experience through years of fieldwork.”

The Star