In the shadows

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, alleges the Lagos-Calabar highway project is handled in secrecy and challenges President Bola Ahmed…

Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, alleges the Lagos-Calabar highway project is handled in secrecy and challenges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disclose the project’s cost. The project was announced during Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency and renegotiated under President Muhammadu Buhari but was stalled. Works Minister Dave Umahi announced the project’s award to Hitech Construction Company Limited without competitive bidding, the National Assembly’s approval or FEC decision, saying it would come at zero cost to Nigeria. Atiku said the 700-kilometre could cost ₦15.7 trillion or $12.56 billion, which is higher than previous estimates, and raised concerns that the pilot phase starts and ends in Lagos.

One major takeaway from this is that delays in starting approved projects engender corruption in Nigeria. When the Lagos-Calabar highway project was initially proposed during the Jonathan administration, costs were considerably lower due to the dollar exchange rate at that time. Failure to begin and conclude the project created an opportunity for subsequent governments to get a piece of the pie through extra-legal means. Examining the government’s position on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project reveals a series of troubling inconsistencies. For starters, the project is veiled, with little information on critical details such as cost breakdowns and the bidding process. There has been some bypassing of established approval channels like the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council oversight, and the public has not been allowed to understand and give their input or approval. The decision to opt for sole-source contracting has been particularly criticised, and it is believed that foregoing competitive bidding processes could only have been fostered by favouritism that would leave the public purse burdened with inflated costs. This suspicion is further inflamed rightly or wrongly by the involvement of businessman Gilbert Chagoury and his conglomerate’s role in the Eko Atlantic City project that was initiated with the support of the current President, who was then in political control of Lagos. There is some concern that Mr Chagoury’s known interest in waterfront real estate creates potential conflicts of interest due to his influence on the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project. Works minister Dave Umahi claimed the project would incur zero cost to Nigeria, but given the lack of documented evidence, it’s hard to believe. Mr Atiku’s estimation of ₦15.7 trillion ($12.56 billion, 18/4/2024) for the 700km project, almost 60% of Nigeria’s 2024 budget, raises doubts about private sector funding. Additionally, the revelation of a ₦1 trillion request for the project initiation adds to the scepticism. Perhaps if this contract had been reopened for public bidding, there is a chance that the controversy surrounding the earmarked demolition of Landmark Beach in Lagos would have been averted. There are several lessons to be learnt from here, and the most poignant is that corruption only festers when the government lacks the will to do better, and the judiciary might no longer be the last hope of the common man.