PANDEF Youth Wing Rejects Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Diversion, Demands Return to Original Route
PANDEF demands immediate cancellation of the proposed Ondo/East-West reroute, warning that coastal communities must not be excluded from the landmark infrastructure project.
BENIN, October 20, 2026 — The National Youth Wing of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has strongly condemned the Federal Government’s reported decision to divert the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from its original coastal alignment to connect with the existing East-West Highway through Ondo State into Edo State.
In a press release signed by its National Youth Leader, Mr. DonBen Donyegha, the group described the proposed change as a betrayal of the project’s original purpose and the littoral oil-producing communities whose natural resources contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economy.
PANDEF Condemns Proposed Highway Realignment
The group criticised the position reportedly announced by the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, concerning the redesign of sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
According to PANDEF, the minister quoted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as directing that the highway should be diverted to the existing East-West Road rather than undertaking new alignments.
The minister reportedly cited difficult terrain, deep pits and construction costs in sections covering parts of Ogun and Ondo states as reasons for the proposed change.
PANDEF argued that subsequent clarifications that the 750-kilometre project had not been abandoned and that surveys were continuing in other areas did not adequately address concerns that sections of the original coastal corridor and the communities along it could be bypassed.
The youth wing maintained that the proposed realignment was not merely an engineering adjustment but a fundamental departure from the project’s original coastal vision.
Niger Delta Communities Must Not Be Sidelined
PANDEF recalled that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was conceived as a major transport corridor linking Lagos through coastal states and communities in the Niger Delta to Calabar.
The group noted that many of the affected riverine and coastal communities have hosted oil exploration and production activities for decades while grappling with environmental pollution, gas flaring, inadequate infrastructure and persistent underdevelopment.
According to the organisation, the highway was widely welcomed across the Niger Delta because it was expected to improve connectivity, stimulate economic activities and provide coastal communities with better access to markets and essential services.
PANDEF argued that diverting the project inland through sections of the existing East-West Road could undermine those expectations and perpetuate the longstanding exclusion of the region’s coastal settlements from major infrastructure development.
The group acknowledged that difficult terrain and construction costs were legitimate engineering considerations. However, it insisted that such challenges should not become reasons to abandon communities that have endured the environmental and economic consequences of oil extraction.
PANDEF Recalls South-South Development Commission Debate
The organisation also drew a parallel between the highway controversy and the earlier agitation for the establishment of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC).
PANDEF recalled that the commission’s enabling legislation faced delays before presidential assent, prompting sustained calls and protests from stakeholders across the South-South region.
The group argued that the episode reinforced concerns among regional stakeholders that the Niger Delta repeatedly had to mount pressure campaigns to secure institutions and infrastructure considered necessary for its development.
It maintained that the region should not be compelled to engage in repeated agitation to obtain development initiatives that address its specific needs.
PANDEF further urged President Tinubu to remain alert to what it described as possible internal influences seeking to undermine the coastal highway project or use it to disadvantage the littoral states.
The organisation declared that it would resist any arrangement that deliberately or effectively excluded the coastal communities the project was originally intended to serve.
PANDEF Issues Three Demands to Tinubu Administration
The PANDEF National Youth Wing outlined three major demands to the Federal Government.
1. Immediate reversal of the proposed diversion
The group called for the immediate cancellation of the directive to divert the highway through the East-West Road via Ondo State and demanded a return to the original coastal alignment across all affected sections.
2. Transparent consultation with stakeholders
PANDEF demanded documented and transparent engagement with host communities, state governments and regional stakeholders before any further major decisions affecting the highway’s alignment are made.
3. Assurance that coastal communities will be served
The group called on the Federal Government to publicly confirm that every littoral oil-producing community originally intended to benefit from the highway would remain connected through an appropriate coastal route.
It warned against replacing the planned coastal corridor with an inland road that, according to the group, has failed to meet the region’s long-standing connectivity needs.
East-West Road Upgrade Must Not Replace Coastal Highway
PANDEF acknowledged that upgrading sections of the East-West Road would be beneficial and could improve transportation across the region.
However, it insisted that such improvements should be treated as a separate, complementary infrastructure project rather than a substitute for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The group argued that the two projects serve different purposes and that improving an existing inland road should not come at the expense of the coastal communities whose inclusion formed a central part of the highway’s original promise.
It called for a development approach that recognises the needs of both inland and coastal settlements without sacrificing one for the other.
PANDEF Warns of Possible Reactions and Political Consequences
The youth wing warned that failure to address its concerns could trigger avoidable reactions among young people and communities across the Niger Delta.
According to the group, renewed agitation could undermine the relative peace and security achieved in the region and carry political implications for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.
PANDEF maintained that oil-producing communities would not accept being excluded from a major infrastructure project associated with the economic wealth generated from their land.
It also insisted that the region should not have to repeatedly demand what it considers its fair share of national development.
Call for Presidential Intervention
The PANDEF National Youth Wing called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene personally, reverse the proposed diversion and restore the original coastal vision of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The group said it remained open to constructive dialogue with the Federal Government and other stakeholders but would continue to speak out against decisions it believes could marginalise Niger Delta communities.
It concluded that the Federal Government must ensure that the highway fulfils its original development objectives by providing meaningful connectivity for the coastal states and communities along the route.
Signed:
Mr. DonBen Donyegha
National Youth Leader
PANDEF National Youth Wing
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Reporter: Dr. Odimientimi Agbedeyi
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