The Federal Government says the first 47-kilometre stretch of the Lagos–Calabar coastal highway will open to traffic in December 2025.

Works Minister David Umahi announced this on Sunday during an inspection tour, noting that the section is expected to be ready between December 12 and 17.

He added that the government and the contractor remain committed to delivering this phase of the 750-kilometre highway, which links nine coastal states.

“This job must be completed. We are here on the president’s directive, working for the people, to ensure that the carriageway is opened for public use by December. We have agreed with the contractor, and that is what we are assessing now. Everything will be done to provide unfettered access from channel 0 to channel 47, up to channel 55; that is our intention.

“We have set aside the 12th to the 17th of next month to publicly open it for public use, without stopping the work. We have also set aside April next year to complete Section 1 and half of Section 2 for full commissioning, excluding the bridges, which are part of the Section 2 contract. We are grateful to God Almighty for His mercies and for the President He has enabled to carry out this job. Also, the contractor is working to ensure that the entire Section 1 of the highway plus half of Section 2 will be completed by April 2026,” Umahi said.

In a new development, the minister said a recent court ruling has clarified the status of Okengwu Stella Winhomes’ claims regarding the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, dismissing her suit for lack of merit.

“The attention of the public has been drawn to the extensive media commentary surrounding the suit filed by the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Winhomes Global Services Limited, Stella Okengwu, concerning the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.

“Since initiating the action, Mrs Okengwu has made several public allegations against me, claiming that the highway route was diverted into a supposed Winhomes residential development in Okun Ajah, Lagos, thereby jeopardising investment said to be worth over $250m. However, what has been presented publicly as a ‘residential development’ is in substance only a gatehouse structure without further development on the site,” Umahi said.

Umahi added that the Federal High Court ruled that Mrs. Okengwu and Winhomes Global Services Limited had no locus standi to file the suit, noting that they admitted in their own filings that they no longer had any proprietary interest in the land. The court also held that they failed to establish any reasonable cause of action against the defendants.

He accused Okengwu of circulating false and misleading claims in the media to deter foreign investors from committing to projects in Nigeria.

“She has told several lies against the Minister of Works. She has been so wild in her negative comments against the good intentions of the Renewed Hope administration in revolutionising road infrastructure nationwide. The court of law has exposed her claims as mendacious and unfounded, and this goes to show she is no more than a troublemaker and false alarmist,” Umahi said.

He urged the public to ignore online allegations made by Stella Okengwu about the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The planned December opening marks a significant milestone in the federal government’s push to upgrade road infrastructure and improve connectivity across Nigeria’s coastal corridor.