Funso Doherty, who contested the 2023 Lagos State governorship election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has recently voiced significant concerns regarding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project. His primary issues revolve around the exorbitant cost per kilometer and the lack of transparency in how the contract was awarded.
In a detailed open letter addressed to the Minister of Works and Housing, Dave Umahi, Doherty highlighted multiple irregularities and procedural lapses tied to the N1.067 trillion contract for the initial 47.474 kilometers of the highway.
Doherty stated, “I have closely monitored the discussions about the per-kilometer expenditure on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road. Your recent justification of the N1.067 trillion contract for the first phase, which equates to roughly N22.5 billion per kilometer, raises serious concerns.”
Although he acknowledged Umahi’s explanation that the project entails a six-lane expressway, Doherty insisted that “the effective cost per kilometer remains at N22.5 billion for this initial segment.”
Revealing his next course of action, Doherty confirmed that he has initiated legal proceedings at the Federal High Court, with the case currently under review by the Court of Appeal, challenging the Ministry’s alleged neglect of due process in awarding the contract.
“During the litigation, we successfully obtained procurement documents from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Doherty explained, adding that certified copies of the cost breakdown are now publicly accessible.
However, he pointed out that critical parts of the report-such as budgetary allocations, compliance assessments, and final recommendations-were withheld by the BPP.
Doherty also flagged concerns about modifications to the project’s scope and the absence of a competitive tendering process. “Initially, the contract specified a 10-lane highway, but it has since been scaled down to six lanes without any official revision to the contract price,” he noted.
He further observed that while street lighting is included in the contract, it represents only about 3% of the total budget, and there is no explicit provision for coastal erosion protection measures within the project’s framework.
Criticizing the decision to award the contract through Direct (Single Source) Procurement to Hi-Tech Construction, Doherty emphasized that the BPP neglected to review essential documents such as engineering designs, feasibility studies, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), and tender evaluation reports.
He expressed grave concerns about the EIA process, describing it as “reckless and unacceptable” that environmental clearance was granted after construction had already commenced.
“Legal requirements mandate that the EIA be completed and made available for public scrutiny before any construction begins,” Doherty stressed. “In this instance, the Ministry issued the EIA certificate in November 2024, despite construction activities already being underway.”
While acknowledging the Coastal Road’s potential to boost regional economic development, Doherty urged for stringent oversight, transparency, and accountability given the project’s magnitude, cost, and environmental impact.