The House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to retain the original route of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through Ondo State and the Escravos–Ogheye–Ugborodo corridor in Delta State.
The resolution was passed on Wednesday, October 21, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Thomas Ereyitomi, the lawmaker representing Warri North, Warri South and Warri West Federal Constituency in Delta State.
The decision comes after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced plans to reroute the highway through the existing East-West Road from Ondo State into Edo State. Umahi said the proposed change was informed by flooding challenges along the East-West Road, particularly around the Ughelli axis in Delta State, and was intended to avoid constructing a new alignment along the corridor.
However, Ereyitomi warned that the proposed realignment could undermine the highway’s original connectivity plan and prevent coastal communities from benefiting economically from the project. He said the proposed route would bypass riverine communities in Delta State, particularly the Ogheye–Orere–Ugborodo–Escravos corridor, which hosts strategic oil and gas facilities, including the Chevron tank farm and the Escravos Gas-to-Liquids plant.
The lawmaker argued that retaining the original coastal route would improve access to critical economic centres, facilitate the movement of workers, equipment and commercial goods, and support the development of connecting roads and related infrastructure. He also urged the government to consider the full costs of alternative routes, including additional road distance, bridges, ground improvement, environmental mitigation, compensation, flood resilience and long-term maintenance.
Contributing to the debate, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, a lawmaker from Rivers State, criticised the proposed realignment, arguing that it could deprive coastal communities of the benefits promised by the project. He questioned whether difficult terrain would be accepted as a reason to avoid the same areas if the government were seeking to extract crude oil. Abiante also called on Umahi to appear before the House to explain the decision, adding that his constituency had not received an environmental impact assessment for the project.
The debate also featured concerns about the adequacy of the House Committee on Works’ investigation. Presiding officer Benjamin Kalu asked Abiante to withdraw his comment questioning the committee’s competence. Abiante later clarified that the committee should consider the interests of affected communities and base its recommendations on a clear understanding of why the realignment was necessary.
Meanwhile, Mark Esset, a lawmaker from Akwa Ibom State, proposed that the Ministry of Works submit the highway’s environmental impact assessment to the House to help lawmakers identify potential environmental challenges and the measures required to address them before construction proceeds. Ademorin Kuye, a Lagos lawmaker, also proposed the construction of reinforced coastal feeder roads to reconnect isolated maritime and fishing communities to the highway where the main dual carriageway must divert inland because of deep water pits and unstable terrain.
The lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion and the proposals following a voice vote called by Kalu.
