IYC Rejects Coastal Highway Diversion, Urges Tinubu to Honour Original Route

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway follows its original approved route through Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, warning that any diversion could undermine public confidence in the Federal Government across the South-South.

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC)

The Council made the call on Thursday at a press conference held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, following reports that the Federal Government was considering diverting part of the highway from Ondo State to the East-West Road, potentially excluding Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states from the original coastal alignment.

The IYC, led by its National President, Dr Doubra Okotete, said the region would not accept any change to the original route, urging Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to adhere to the design approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Okotete described reported concerns about the cost of construction and the difficult terrain as unacceptable, arguing that state governments and development agencies were already building roads and bridges across the creeks, swamps and mangrove forests of the Niger Delta.

He cited the ongoing Nembe-Brass Road project in Bayelsa State, which it said involved 21 kilometres of road and more than 15 bridges across difficult terrain, as evidence that infrastructure could be delivered in the region.

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The National President also listed the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie Road, the Ekeremor-Agge Road and other projects in Bayelsa as examples of ongoing efforts to connect communities separated by rivers and wetlands.

He said similar projects were being undertaken in Rivers and Delta states, as well as by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), including the Bonny Ring Road and the Port Harcourt-Okrika Road project.

Okotete offered to sponsor former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke on an all-expenses-paid visit to Bayelsa to inspect the Nembe-Brass Road and other infrastructure projects. It also offered to fund his visit to the Trans-Kalabari Road project in Rivers State and other NDDC projects across the region.

The offer followed comments attributed to Duke questioning the feasibility and cost of completing the coastal highway. The IYC said it wanted him to see the construction challenges being addressed by state governments and development agencies in the Niger Delta.

He argued that the Federal Government should not abandon the original coastal alignment on the grounds of cost or terrain after the project had undergone feasibility studies and design and construction had commenced on some sections.

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He maintained that the issue required political commitment and transparency, rather than a change of route that could leave several South-South states outside the project.

Okotete further warned that any diversion could affect the Tinubu administration’s standing in the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the decision would disappoint residents who expected the coastal highway to improve transport links, support economic activity and connect coastal communities to other parts of the country.

He also referred to the defection of some South-South governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying people in the region had supported the moves partly because of expectations of federal infrastructure projects and greater government presence.

The IYC President urged Tinubu to demonstrate that he represented the interests of all Nigerians by ensuring that the highway retained its original route through the South-South.

He also called on the Federal Government to release the approved designs and engineering drawings for the entire 750-kilometre project to the public.

In addition, Okotete asked the government to direct the contractor to begin work immediately on the Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo sections and ensure that construction progressed alongside work on the Lagos-Ondo and Cross River-Akwa Ibom sections.

He said a public release of the approved designs and the commencement of work across the different sections would help restore confidence and address concerns about a possible change in the project’s scope.

He also warned that replacing the coastal highway with rehabilitation of the East-West Road would raise questions about whether the original project was intended to benefit the South-South states.

He said it did not seek conflict with any region or ethnic group but urged the Minister of Works to exercise caution in statements and decisions concerning a project it considers important to the Niger Delta.