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

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has faulted the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for failing to provide a clear breakdown of the cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing his response as evasive and unnecessary.

Speaking at a public event, Makinde criticised Umahi’s handling of a recent interview on Arise TV, where the minister clashed with journalist Rufai Oseni over questions about the project’s cost per kilometre.

During the live interview, Oseni requested that Umahi analyse the cost of the coastal highway, kilometre by kilometre.

The minister, visibly irritated, dismissed the question, arguing that such a breakdown was “elementary” and that costs varied across different sections of the road.

Umahi, who described himself as a “professor of practice in engineering,” said it was too complex for journalists to understand the costing system, adding that payments for the project were based on verified certificates of completed work.

His response drew widespread criticism online, with many accusing him of arrogance and lack of transparency.

In his reaction, Makinde defended Oseni, saying Umahi owed Nigerians a clear explanation of how much the project costs on average.

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“They asked a minister how much the coastal road costs, and you’re dancing around, saying the next kilometre is different from the other. So what is the average cost?” Makinde asked.

The governor cited examples from Oyo State road projects to demonstrate how cost analysis should be presented.

He added: “When we did the Oyo-Iseyin road, it cost about N9.99 billion — that’s roughly N238 million per kilometre.

“For the Iseyin-Ogbomoso road, which is 76 kilometres, we spent about N43 billion, averaging N500 million per kilometre. That project had two bridges — one over the Ogun River and another at the Ogbomoso end.”

Makinde’s comments come amid growing public scrutiny of the multi-trillion-naira coastal highway project, which has been touted as one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Nigeria’s history but has also faced criticism over cost transparency, environmental impact, and land acquisition concerns.

Despite the controversy, the federal government insists the project will boost trade, tourism, and connectivity across Nigeria’s coastal states once completed.

The Star