Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Donald Duke, has criticised the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a misplaced priority that Nigeria cannot afford.
Duke also claimed that the 750-kilometre highway would not extend beyond Epe in Lagos, despite ongoing construction from both the Lagos and Calabar ends.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during an appearance on Prime Time on Arise Television.
“I’ll bring this up. Take the Lagos-Calabar highway. I know the country cannot afford it,” he said.
“You cannot build a road on the coast from Lagos to Calabar. I mean, you can’t even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You’ll probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps.”
The former governor argued that the federal government should rehabilitate the existing Lagos-Calabar road instead of constructing a new coastal highway.
“There is already a road to Calabar. I’ve driven from Lagos to Calabar several times. If the road is poor, fix it,” he said.
“I don’t think that road is going to go beyond Epe, and I think the road serves other purposes because I drove once on the road and all I saw on the right flank going towards Epe was land reclamation and all that.”
Duke said the funds allocated to the highway would have a greater impact if channelled into sectors such as electricity and healthcare.
“The amount going to be spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity or upgrading your healthcare system,” he said.
He described government spending on healthcare as inadequate, noting that both the health and education sectors require greater investment.
“Last year, the capital budget that was released for health was barely N36 million. This came from the minister himself. That’s pathetic for a country of 230 million people,” he said.
“Not to talk about the schooling system that is hardly funded. So you prioritise, focus on your priorities, recalibrate your revenue system.”
Duke also called for reforms to Nigeria’s revenue generation system, arguing that excessive dependence on taxing corporate profits encourages tax avoidance.
According to him, expanding transaction-based taxes and strengthening revenue administration would improve government earnings.
He further stressed that affordable energy is essential for economic growth, urging the government to make electricity and other energy sources more accessible.
“We are blessed with all the known forms of energy, from hydro to solar to gas to petroleum,” he said.
“I’m not saying give it free of charge, no, but make it available and very affordable because that is going to be a major stimulus for the productivity of your people.”