The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has received strong criticism for presenting a 30-kilometre section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a completed project ready for commissioning.
The Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a major procurement advocacy group in Nigeria, described the move as misleading and politically motivated.
According to NEFGAD, the entire highway spans 750 kilometres. The group said the 30-kilometre section amounts to just 4% of the whole project.
They argue that presenting a small portion as though the entire project is ready sends the wrong message to Nigerians.
“We caution against the politicization of infrastructure delivery,” NEFGAD said. “Project commissioning should reflect substantive completion and usability.”
Don’t Set the Wrong Example, Group Warns Umahi
NEFGAD warned that if left unchecked, this act could set a bad precedent for future projects. The group stressed that such actions might become the norm across Nigeria if the government tolerates them.
“Presenting a fraction as the whole not only misrepresents the scope of work,” the group added, “but risks undermining public trust in government communication and performance metrics.”
They said photo opportunities should not replace real, meaningful development progress.
“The minister must be mindful of the kind of precedent this action sets,” NEFGAD stated. “Moments of national progress should not become political theatre.”
Completion Should Be the Goal, Not Haste
NEFGAD pointed out that President Bola Tinubu should not be pressured to commission incomplete projects. The group reminded officials that government is a continuous process.
“President Tinubu himself met projects initiated by previous administrations, completed and inaugurated them,” they noted.
They urged Umahi to learn from this approach and focus on continuity, not speed.
NEFGAD called on President Tinubu to ensure full transparency in infrastructure delivery. They asked the Ministry of Works to tie future commissionings to actual results, not unfinished projects.
“The people deserve full value for every public infrastructure initiative,” NEFGAD stated. “Not staged ceremonies that paper over incomplete work.”
The group also asked the Ministry to recommit to credible project timelines, keep public trust, and maintain integrity.
“We urge the Ministry of Works to ensure that future commissionings are tied to real, completed achievements—not fragments dressed up as finished products,” they added.
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