The Federal Government has announced that the initial 47-kilometre segment of the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway is set to open for traffic in December 2025.

During an inspection tour on Sunday, Works Minister David Umahi revealed that this section is anticipated to be completed between December 12 and 17.

He further stated that both the government and the contractor are dedicated to finishing this phase of the 750-kilometre highway, which connects nine coastal states.

“This project must be accomplished. We are here following the president’s mandate, serving the people to ensure that the roadway is accessible to the public by December. We have reached an agreement with the contractor, and that is what we are currently evaluating. Everything will be done to ensure seamless access from channel 0 to channel 47, extending to channel 55; that is our goal.

“We have designated December 12 to 17 for the public opening of this segment while continuing with construction. We have also planned to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 by April next year for full commissioning, excluding the bridges that are part of the Section 2 contract. We are thankful to God for His blessings and for the President who has made this project possible. Additionally, the contractor is working to ensure that Section 1 of the highway, along with half of Section 2, is completed by April 2026,” Umahi stated.

In a recent update, the minister mentioned that a recent court ruling has clarified the situation regarding Okengwu Stella Winhomes’ claims about the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, dismissing her lawsuit due to lack of merit.

“The public has been made aware of the significant media discussion surrounding the lawsuit filed by Stella Okengwu, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Winhomes Global Services Limited, regarding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.

“Since the lawsuit was initiated, Mrs. Okengwu has made various public claims against me, alleging that the route for the highway was redirected into a supposed Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos, threatening an investment claimed to be worth over $250 million. However, what has been publicly presented as a ‘residential development’ is essentially just a gatehouse structure, lacking any further development on the property,” Umahi said.

Umahi explained that the Federal High Court determined that Mrs. Okengwu and Winhomes Global Services Limited had no standing to file the lawsuit, noting that they admitted in their own documents that they no longer held any proprietary interest in the land. The court also found that they failed to demonstrate any valid cause of action against the defendants.

He accused Okengwu of spreading false and misleading information in the media to discourage foreign investment in Nigeria.

“She has made numerous false statements against the Minister of Works. She has been excessively critical of the positive intentions of the Renewed Hope administration to transform road infrastructure across the country. The court has exposed her claims as deceitful and baseless, and this illustrates that she is nothing more than a troublemaker and alarmist,” Umahi commented.

He encouraged the public to disregard the online accusations made by Stella Okengwu regarding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The scheduled opening in December represents a key achievement in the federal government’s efforts to enhance road infrastructure and increase connectivity throughout Nigeria’s coastal corridor.