The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has defended the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, dismissing claims that it is responsible for flooding in parts of Lagos State.
Umahi made the remarks in response to concerns raised by some residents, who alleged that the coastal highway has disrupted the natural flow of water into the Atlantic Ocean, thereby contributing to flooding in affected communities.
Rejecting the allegations, the minister described critics of the project as being motivated by envy and jealousy.
“Those who attack the coastal highway and attribute every negative happening to the coastal highway are people who are born out of envy and jealousy,” Umahi said.
The minister maintained that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being executed in line with engineering standards and insisted that the project should not be blamed for the recent flooding experienced in parts of the state.
The project has continued to generate public debate, with supporters describing it as a transformative infrastructure development, while critics have raised concerns about its environmental impact and potential effect on drainage and coastal water flow.
Those who attack the coastal highway and attribute every negative happening to the coastal highway are people who are born out of envy and jealousy.
— Dave Umahi defends the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project amid claims that it is responsible for flooding in parts of Lagos. pic.twitter.com/BttoSwFEqa
— Channels Television (@channelstv) July 7, 2026
The floods in Lagos have been there before the coastal highway. It was there yesterday, it is there today, and it will also be there tomorrow. It’s like the natural disasters in other countries, such as earthquakes.
The floods in Lagos have been there before the coastal highway. It was there yesterday, it is there today, and it will also be there tomorrow. It’s like the natural disasters in other countries, such as earthquakes.
— Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, dismissing claims that the… pic.twitter.com/estqaTwlIa
— Channels Television (@channelstv) July 7, 2026
