The Federal Government has defended engineering adjustments to the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, denying reports that President Bola Tinubu ordered its realignment or directed that the project be abandoned in favour of the East-West Road.

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said the coastal highway remains intact, with surveying and design work continuing on its remaining sections.

In a clarification issued by the Federal Ministry of Works, the government explained that the proposed reconstruction of 400 kilometres of the East-West Road, stretching from Edo State to Cross River State, is an additional project and will run alongside the coastal highway rather than replace any section of it.

The statement, signed by the ministry's Director of Highway Bridges and Design, Engr. Musa Saidu, also disclosed that President Tinubu had approved an additional route through Wukari and Langtang, extending the Fourth Legacy Highway from approximately 700 kilometres to 1,100 kilometres.

According to the ministry, work on the legacy highway projects is progressing as planned, while the additional routes will neither alter the original designs nor disrupt their execution.

The government urged Nigerians to disregard reports suggesting that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had been abandoned.

The clarification follows Umahi's earlier explanation of the engineering decisions behind changes to the coastal highway's alignment.

Speaking during an inspection of the Ondo State section in Ilaje Local Government Area, the minister said the adjustments were based on engineering considerations rather than private interests.

He explained that technical assessments identified unsuitable marine sand and three major water crossings, each measuring more than 3.5 kilometres, along the original route. Retaining that alignment, he said, would have significantly increased construction costs.

Other adjustments included rerouting sections to avoid damaging subsea telecommunications cables and reducing the planned carriageway from 10 lanes to six as part of cost-saving measures.

However, the project continues to face scrutiny over its estimated ₦15 trillion cost.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has questioned the cost per kilometre, prompting Umahi to defend the government's valuation and challenge the governor to a public debate on the figures.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is designed to connect Nigeria's South-West with the Niger Delta and other coastal communities, traversing nine states. Its scale, cost and route adjustments have continued to attract public attention as construction progresses.