Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Is Misplaced Priority, Nigeria Can’t Afford It — Donald Duke

Former Cross River State governor Donald Duke, has described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project as a misplaced priority, arguing that Nigeria cannot afford the massive infrastructure project amid its current economic challenges.

Duke, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the 2027 election, made the remarks during Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television.

He said government spending should reflect the country’s economic realities, insisting that some ongoing projects do not represent prudent use of scarce resources.

“I’ll bring this up. Take the Lagos-Calabar highway. I know the country cannot afford it,” he said.

“You cannot build a road on the coast from Lagos to Calabar. I mean, you can’t even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You’ll probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps.”

Duke also claimed that the 750-kilometre highway, with completed sections already extending a few kilometres into Cross River and Akwa Ibom from the Calabar end and advancing towards Ondo from the Lagos end, is unlikely to go beyond Epe.

“There is already a road to Calabar. I’ve driven from Lagos to Calabar several times. If the road is poor, fix it,” he said.

“I don’t think that road is going to go beyond Epe, and I think the road serves other purposes because I drove once on the road and all I saw on the right flank going towards Epe was land reclamation and all that.”

The former governor argued that the resources earmarked for the project would have a greater impact if invested in critical sectors such as electricity and healthcare.

“The amount going to be spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity or upgrading your healthcare system,” he said.

Duke also criticised what he described as inadequate funding for the health sector, saying Nigeria’s healthcare and education systems require significantly greater investment.

“Last year, the capital budget that was released for health was barely N36 million. This came from the minister himself. That’s pathetic for a country of 230 million people,” he said.

“Not to talk about the schooling system that is hardly funded. So you prioritise, focus on your priorities, recalibrate your revenue system.”

He further called for reforms to Nigeria’s revenue collection system, arguing that excessive dependence on taxing corporate profits encourages tax avoidance. According to him, broadening transactional taxes and improving revenue administration could significantly boost government earnings.

Duke also identified affordable energy as the foundation of economic growth, urging the government to make electricity and other energy sources more accessible.

“We are blessed with all the known forms of energy, from hydro to solar to gas to petroleum,” he said.

“I’m not saying give it free of charge, no, but make it available and very affordable because that is going to be a major stimulus for the productivity of your people.”

Donald Duke served as governor of Cross River State from 1999 to 2007.