The Pan Niger Delta Forum has rejected the federal government’s decision to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. The highway will now link the existing East-West Road through Ondo and Edo states. PANDEF wants the original coastal alignment restored. The National Youth Leader, DonBen Donyegha, addressed journalists in Benin on Tuesday.
The coastal highway is a flagship project of the Tinubu administration. It is designed to run about 700 kilometres along the coastline from Lagos to Calabar. Construction began in 2024. The project was conceived to connect littoral communities through the Niger Delta. Many of those communities have endured decades of pollution, gas flaring and underdevelopment from oil extraction. The original route faced engineering challenges. In October 2026, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced a change. The government said the terrain in parts of Ogun and Ondo included deep pits and unsuitable soil. The new plan merges the highway with the East-West Road and raises the roadbed by up to two metres. It also includes a 45-kilometre Benin bypass.
Donyegha called the decision a betrayal. He said the project was meant to serve the coastal oil-bearing communities whose resources fund the economy. He argued that the engineering challenges should not be used to deny the region infrastructure. “The decision would exclude several communities originally expected to benefit,” he said. He warned that the diversion would deepen Niger Delta communities' sense of exclusion. He demanded transparent consultations with host communities, state governments and regional stakeholders. He also demanded public confirmation that a coastal route would still serve all littoral oil-bearing communities.
The government has defended the change on cost and safety grounds. The original alignment would have required extensive sand filling and bridge work. The merged route saves money and speeds delivery. PANDEF’s objection is political. The Niger Delta wants the road on its coast. The government wants the road built. Both are legitimate. The question is whether the reroute leaves the delta behind.
Winners: The Federal Government, which saves costs. Commuters on the East-West Road, who gain upgrades. Edo and Ondo communities on the new route. Losers: Niger Delta communities excluded from the original alignment. PANDEF, whose demand is rejected. Coastal oil-bearing communities, who feel abandoned. The project’s original vision, which is diluted.
Bottom Line: PANDEF wants the coastal road on the coast. The government wants it built. The engineering case is real. The political case is also real. The delta has waited decades for infrastructure. It will not accept a detour quietly.