Former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Donald Duke, has criticised the Federal Government’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, arguing that Nigeria lacks the financial capacity to complete such an ambitious undertaking.
Speaking during Tuesday’s edition of Prime Time on Arise Television, Duke described the multi-billion-naira project as a misplaced priority, insisting that the country’s limited resources should be directed toward more urgent sectors such as healthcare, education and electricity.
“I’ll bring this up. Take the Lagos-Calabar highway. I know the country cannot afford it,” Duke said.
The former governor questioned the feasibility of constructing a coastal highway stretching from Lagos to Calabar, particularly through swampy areas in the Niger Delta.
According to him, sections of Bayelsa State are largely made up of swamps, making the project technically challenging and extremely expensive.
“You cannot build a road on the coast from Lagos to Calabar. 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,” he stated.
Duke also argued that Nigeria already has an existing road linking Lagos and Calabar, urging the government to rehabilitate the current infrastructure instead of constructing a completely new 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.
He further claimed that the coastal highway project may not extend beyond Epe in Lagos State, despite its original plan to connect Lagos with Calabar.
“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 added.
The former governor maintained that the enormous funds earmarked for the project could have a greater impact if invested in critical sectors that directly affect the lives of Nigerians.
According to him, improving electricity supply and strengthening the healthcare system should take priority over costly infrastructure projects.
“The amount going to be spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity or upgrading your healthcare system,” he said.
Duke described funding for Nigeria’s health sector as inadequate, lamenting that both healthcare and education continue to suffer from insufficient investment despite their importance to national development.
He also called for reforms to Nigeria’s revenue generation system, arguing that excessive dependence on taxing corporate profits encourages tax avoidance.
Instead, he advocated for a more efficient revenue collection system and greater reliance on transaction-based taxes.
The former governor added that making electricity and other energy sources more affordable would significantly boost productivity and drive economic growth.
“We are blessed with all the known forms of energy, from hydro to solar to gas to petroleum. I’m not saying give it free of charge, but make it available and very affordable because that is going to be a major stimulus for the productivity of your people,” he said.
Donald Duke served as Governor of Cross River State from 1999 to 2007 and is currently the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
Source: Arise Television.
