Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has strongly criticized the Lagos-Calabar Highway project initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, labeling it as wasteful and corrupt.

The ex-president, in chapter six of his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, condemned the project, which is projected to cost N15.6 trillion upon completion. He also criticized the construction of the Vice President’s official residence at N21 billion, calling it an example of financial mismanagement.

Obasanjo remarked, “Everything is said to be transactional, and the slogan is ‘It is my turn to chop.’ Typical examples of waste, corruption, and misplaced priorities are the murky Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, on which the President had turned a deaf ear to protests, and the new Vice-President’s official residence built at a cost of N21bn in the time of economic hardship. What small minds!”

The Lagos-Calabar Highway project has been a subject of public debate, with many questioning its necessity and financial implications. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, had also raised concerns about the project, calling for its suspension.

However, Tinubu’s government has continued to defend the initiative. Minister of Works Dave Umahi has repeatedly justified the project, recently announcing that 30 kilometers out of the 70-kilometer first phase will be completed by May 2025.