The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi has blamed indiscriminate waste disposal and the blockage of drainage channels, not the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, for flooding in parts of Lagos.
The Minister dismissed the criticism of the project as politically motivated.
A statement issued in Abuja on Monday by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, quoted Umahi as saying this during the inspection of Section III of the 162.3-kilometre Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway traversing Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.
He said the coastal highway was designed with adequate drainage systems and modern engineering measures to effectively manage stormwater and other environmental concerns.
The Minister argued that the flooding being witnessed in some areas was largely caused by unfriendly environmental practices, particularly the dumping of refuse into drainage channels, rather than the construction of the highway.
He also dismissed attacks from opposition groups, describing their claims as baseless and insisting that the Federal Government remains focused on delivering transformative infrastructure that will reshape Nigeria’s economy and improve connectivity nationwide.
Umahi expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work on the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway project.
He reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Umahi said the administration’s investments in road construction are restoring confidence in the nation’s transport sector and laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
According to him, if previous administrations had consistently built roads of similar quality, Nigeria would not still be grappling with widespread infrastructure deficits.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, described the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway as one of Nigeria’s most strategic infrastructure projects.
He noted that it would boost trade, improve transportation and strengthen cross-border connectivity with the Republics of Benin and Niger.
Also, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s support for President Tinubu’s four legacy road projects.
He urged ministries, departments and agencies to work together to ensure their timely completion.
On his part, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, praised the quality and scale of the ongoing construction and appealed to Nigerians to remain patient.
