The commissioning of a 30-kilometer stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road has been criticized by Former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, as a “costly spectacle for a fraction of progress.” Ameh expressed his concerns in a statement, questioning the justification for the extravagant ceremony, which he believes was designed to mask the project’s larger, unfinished reality.

“The expenditure of billions of naira on logistics, hotels, and lodges to celebrate just 4.3% of the project’s completion is not only unjustifiable but also reeks of propaganda,” Former IPAC Chairman Peter Ameh said. He emphasized that the billions spent on the spectacle could have been better allocated to addressing the project’s actual challenges.

Ameh highlighted the difficult terrain along the Ondo coastal line, where swampy lands and creeks spanning over 40 kilometers and reaching depths of 8 feet have stalled progress. He criticized the lack of planning, citing Minister of Works David Umahi’s revelation that these terrain challenges were only discovered after construction began.

“The Ondo axis, considered one of the easier terrains compared to the more complex Niger Delta coastal line, should have been thoroughly surveyed before work commenced,” Ameh stated. “If the project is already faltering here, what lies ahead in more challenging regions?”

Ameh also expressed concern over the absence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a standard requirement for projects of this magnitude. “The failure to conduct feasibility studies, geotechnical surveys, or route optimization points to a reckless ‘build-now-think-later’ approach that undermines the project’s viability and fuels suspicions of misappropriation,” he said.

Peter Ameh called on the government to treat such projects with transparency, fiscal responsibility, and rigorous planning. “The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road holds immense potential to transform Nigeria’s coastal regions, but its current trajectory suggests it may never be completed without a commitment to due process,” he emphasized.

At its current pace, Ameh warned that the project risks joining the long list of abandoned or perpetually delayed infrastructure initiatives in Nigeria’s history. “Nigerians are tired of grand promises and bold announcements that yield minimal results,” he said, urging the government to rebuild public confidence by ensuring accountability and proper assessments in infrastructure projects.