The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, has said that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Super Highway is attracting increasing attention from foreign governments, investors, and international engineering stakeholders due to its quality and strategic importance.
Umahi disclosed this on Friday, June 19, 2026, during an inspection tour of Section 2 of the project at Epe, Lagos State, noting that the coastal highway has become a reference point for modern infrastructure development under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, delegations from different countries and international institutions have continued to visit the project site to assess the engineering standards and execution of the multi-billion-dollar highway.
“People are coming. I’m told that the California Transport Minister is on this road today to look at it. Our neighbouring countries are coming to look at the quality of the road,” Umahi said.
He added that the growing international interest in the project reflects confidence in the technical quality of the work and the administration’s infrastructure drive.
The Minister also disclosed that major international financial institutions involved in the project, including Deutsche Bank, which led the funding of 70 percent of Sections One and Two of the highway, initially considered the project undervalued relative to the standard of work being delivered.
“Deutsche Bank, which was the lead bank for the funding of 70% of Sections One and Two, said that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway project was undervalued. But the quality of the work is out of this world,” he said.
Umahi further revealed that First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), one of the project financiers, recently received international recognition at the ongoing IsDB Group Annual Meetings 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, for its participation in the highway project.
“Just this week, the First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) that participated in the funding was given an award at the ongoing IsDB Group Annual Meetings 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, for participating in this wonderful, innovative project of President Bola Tinubu,” he said, adding that the bank’s investment in the project amounted to $656 million.
He noted that the recognition underscores growing global investor confidence in Nigeria’s infrastructure development agenda and the Lagos–Calabar corridor in particular.
While acknowledging citizens’ right to criticise government projects, Umahi urged that such criticism should be informed and constructive.
“When people criticize the project, they have to know that it’s their right to criticize. But criticize constructively and be sure of what you are saying. Don’t darken counsel without knowledge,” he cautioned.
Reaffirming his commitment to accountability, Umahi said his supervision of federal projects is guided by responsibility to Nigerians, loyalty to President Tinubu’s development vision, and personal faith.
“I put God first in all that I do. I put the people and I put the President first… So I’m doing something in terms of supervision that tomorrow I will answer for,” he added.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Super Highway remains one of the flagship infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration, designed to link key coastal cities and boost economic activity across the southern corridor of the country.
