The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s approval of an additional 400-kilometre East-West Road project, describing it as a complementary infrastructure investment that will strengthen connectivity across the Niger Delta.
The organisation, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the approval did not affect the 750-kilometre Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, whose alignment, it maintained, remains intact.
The statement was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President-General, and Professor Chibuikeya Achoakawa, Acting Secretary-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
Ohanaeze said the approval of the East-West Road should be seen as an expansion of the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme rather than a replacement or alteration of the coastal highway.
It expressed confidence in the clarification by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, that the original alignment of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway remains unchanged.
According to the organisation, the two projects serve different but complementary purposes, with the coastal highway designed to improve transportation along Nigeria’s southern coastline, while the East-West Road will strengthen connections across the Niger Delta.
Ohanaeze said the simultaneous implementation of the projects could improve access to communities, facilitate trade, attract investment and deepen economic integration across the southern region.
“The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the East-West Road serve distinct but complementary infrastructure objectives,” the organisation said, stressing that the approval of the additional road “should be understood as an expansion of infrastructure development, not evidence that one project has been sacrificed for another.”
The organisation commended Tinubu for approving the additional 400km road, expected to extend from Edo State towards Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, saying its implementation would further open up the region to economic opportunities.
Ohanaeze also faulted what it described as misleading claims surrounding an alleged alteration of the coastal highway, urging former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other critics of the administration to verify facts before attacking the government or the Minister of Works.
It said while constructive scrutiny remained essential in a democracy, criticism of major national infrastructure projects should be based on verifiable facts rather than speculation or partisan interpretations.
The organisation further commended Umahi for clarifying the Federal Government’s position, while urging the Ministry of Works to maintain transparent communication on the alignment, funding, construction schedules and implementation milestones of both projects.
It said Nigerians deserved accurate information on infrastructure investments of such magnitude, particularly projects with implications for regional commerce, employment and long-term economic development.
Ohanaeze also called on the Federal Government to sustain construction activities on the coastal highway, uphold engineering and environmental standards, ensure accountability in public expenditure and deliver the project in accordance with approved plans and contractual obligations.
The organisation maintained that the focus should be on delivering critical national infrastructure rather than politicising government decisions.
It urged political leaders and commentators to distinguish between legitimate concerns over project implementation and claims not supported by reliable evidence.
Ohanaeze said the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway should proceed on its approved alignment, while the additional East-West Road should be pursued as a complementary investment capable of contributing to the development of the Niger Delta and the wider Nigerian economy.
