Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Sparks Outcry as Estates, Communities Lose Access
Story: written by springnewsng September 5,2025
The construction of the 700-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway continues to generate public concern, as residents of several estates and communities say the project is cutting off access to their homes.
From the onset of construction, the project has been trailed by demolition controversies, with properties worth millions reduced to rubble. Among the most prominent victims was Landmark Beach Resort, valued at over $200 million, along with more than 80 businesses that operated within the facility.
Although Section 1, Phase 1 of the road project — stretching 30 kilometres — has already been inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu, work remains ongoing around the Lekki Free Trade Zone, including the construction of the first flyover bridge near the New Road Junction. Construction is also active in areas like Okun-Ajah and towards the Lagos/Ogun State boundary.
Residents say the ongoing works are severely affecting their daily lives. “The coastal road is cutting off thousands of apartments from access to work and even getting out of their estates. MeadowHall access has been blocked and residents are now forced to make longer detours,” one affected resident lamented.
Concerns have also been raised about the absence of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before the project began. According to residents, drainages have been disrupted and no adequate pedestrian access has been provided.
Beyond communities, diaspora investors in a $250 million real estate development at Okun-Ajah have also accused the federal government and contractors of unlawful demolition and a lack of transparency. The Foreign Investors Network of Nigeria (FINN), a group of US-based Nigerians and American partners, allege that the original 2006 gazetted alignment of the highway was altered without consultation, affecting their legally approved 18.8-hectare Winhomes Estate.
“These are people’s life savings being reduced to rubble. We are not opposed to the road infrastructure, but there must be due process and fair compensation,” said Kunle Adeyemi, Chairman of the South West Zone of the Real Estate Developers of Nigeria (REDAN). He warned that repeated property demolitions across Lagos and Abuja are discouraging diaspora investment in real estate, which he estimated has already declined by about 30 percent.
Analysts also point to broader concerns about the project’s lack of environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), inadequate consultation with affected communities, and potential ecological risks in sensitive coastal zones like wetlands and mangroves.
With a contract sum reportedly valued at ₦15 trillion, the coastal highway is regarded as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious yet controversial infrastructure projects — attracting lawsuits, protests, and sustained criticism over transparency, compensation, and long-term environmental consequences.
