SAN warns against sidelining coastal communities in Ondo, Delta
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has urged President Bola Tinubu to order an independent review of the reported realignment of sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway away from coastal communities in Ondo and Delta states.
Adegboruwa, in a statement dated October 12, 2026, called on the President to ensure that the original objectives of the project were not undermined by changes to its route.
He argued that the highway, conceived as a major infrastructure corridor linking communities and economic centres along Nigeria’s Atlantic coastline, should deliver tangible benefits to the coastal populations for whom the project was partly intended.
The lawyer said shifting sections of the highway inland could deprive coastal communities of economic opportunities associated with improved transportation, maritime commerce, fisheries, tourism and investment.
“The concern is not merely about where a road passes. It is about whether the promise of national infrastructure will translate into tangible development for the people whose geographical position makes them natural stakeholders in a coastal highway project,” he said.
Adegboruwa specifically highlighted the concerns of the Ilaje people and other coastal communities in Ondo State, as well as their counterparts in Delta State, warning that bypassing such settlements could limit their access to emerging commercial corridors and weaken local economic prospects.
He described the reported realignment as a potential setback for the affected communities and urged Tinubu to intervene before irreversible decisions were made.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was officially flagged off in May 2024 as a major road project intended to connect coastal states and stimulate economic development along Nigeria’s Atlantic seaboard.
Acknowledging that the Federal Government had cited difficult terrain, weak subsoil conditions, construction costs and flood resilience as considerations in reviewing sections of the route, Adegboruwa said such engineering challenges deserved serious attention.
He, however, maintained that technical difficulties should lead to a careful assessment of alternative routes rather than automatically deprive coastal communities of access to the proposed economic corridor.
“Engineering challenges should prompt a careful evaluation of alternatives rather than the automatic loss of coastal access and development opportunities,” he said.
Adegboruwa urged the Federal Government to commission a comparative assessment of the original and revised alignments, taking into account construction and maintenance costs, journey times, environmental implications, employment opportunities and the distribution of economic benefits among affected states.
He also called for comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments to examine the implications of the proposed routes for coastal erosion, flooding, wetlands, mangrove ecosystems, fisheries, drainage systems and climate resilience.
The lawyer stressed that neither a coastal nor an inland alignment should be adopted without adequate technical evidence and consideration of its long-term environmental and social consequences.
He further urged the Federal Ministry of Works to publish details of the approved alignment, explain the reasons for any changes and identify the coastal communities that would be directly served or bypassed by the highway.
Among other measures, Adegboruwa asked the President to consider retaining or restoring a viable coastal route through appropriate parts of Ondo and Delta states wherever technically, environmentally and economically feasible.
He also advocated consultations involving the Federal Government, the governments of Ondo and Delta states, traditional rulers, representatives of coastal communities, engineers, environmental experts, investors and other stakeholders.
Where engineering or environmental considerations make it impossible to serve certain communities directly, he urged the government to provide complementary access roads and supporting economic infrastructure to prevent their isolation from the benefits of the project.
Adegboruwa said a national infrastructure project of such magnitude should promote balanced regional development rather than create disparities in access to economic opportunities.
“The objective should not be to create competition between states or communities. Rather, it should be to ensure that engineering decisions, public expenditure and infrastructure planning serve the broader national interest while giving due consideration to the people whose livelihoods and development prospects are affected,” he said.
He maintained that the success of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway should be measured not only by the speed of construction or the kilometres completed, but also by its contribution to national integration, regional development, environmental sustainability and the welfare of communities along its corridor.
“I am not asking the Federal Government to disregard legitimate engineering considerations. I am asking that those considerations be weighed transparently against the original objectives of the project and the rights and development aspirations of the affected communities,” he said.
Adegboruwa expressed confidence in Tinubu’s commitment to national development and urged the President to ensure that the concerns of coastal communities in Ondo and Delta states received a fair, evidence-based and transparent assessment.
Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com