Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Will Unlock Niger Delta Devt — Diri To Duke

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has faulted former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, over his criticism of the Federal Government’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, insisting that the project is feasible despite the swampy terrain of the Niger Delta.

Hotnews gathered that Mr Duke had described the 750-kilometre coastal highway as unbuildable, arguing in an interview on Arise Television that constructing the road through Bayelsa would require hundreds of bridges because of the state’s swampy landscape.

Reacting in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, Governor Diri expressed disappointment that a former governor from the South-South region would question the feasibility of such a significant infrastructure project.

Governor Diri cited several road and bridge projects successfully executed in Bayelsa’s difficult terrain, including the Nembe-Brass Road, Sagbama-Ekeremor-Agge Road, Yenagoa-Oporoma Road and the 630-metre bridge across River Nun at Angiama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

He also referenced the dualised roads in New Yenagoa City and Glory Drive, noting that these projects demonstrated that road construction was achievable in swampy and mangrove environments.

The Governor described Duke’s comments as inconsistent with developments in modern road construction and suggested that political considerations might have influenced his criticism.

Governor Diri emphasised that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was crucial to unlocking economic opportunities and accelerating development in coastal states and riverine communities along its route.

He further noted that the project was particularly significant to the Ijaw people, explaining that the Ijaw National Congress had advocated the construction of a coastal road since the 1990s.

According to him, the administration of President Bola Tinubu had finally undertaken the project after years of appeals to successive federal governments.

The Bayelsa Governor said the importance of the project to his people was among the considerations that informed his decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He cautioned politicians against allowing political interests to overshadow development, stressing that ordinary citizens often bear the consequences when critical infrastructure projects become subjects of political controversy.

Governor Diri maintained that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was achievable and urged stakeholders to recognise its potential to improve connectivity, stimulate economic activities and transform communities across the coastal region.

~ Hot News Reporters
Thursday 15, October, 2026