Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Real Estate Executives Make Fresh Demands Amid Flooding
- Two real estate stakeholders separately raised concerns about the coastal highway's alignment and drainage design during a television programme
- Winhomes CEO Stella Okengwu alleged the road was rerouted through her estate after she questioned the project, leading to property demolitions
- Gtext Holdings chairman Stephen Akintayo proposed a joint compensation fund managed by the federal and Lagos state governments and industry stakeholders
Two real estate executives have called for a technical inquiry into whether the design and routing of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway worsened the flooding that struck parts of Lagos State this year.
Engr Stella Okengwu, Chief Executive Officer of Winhomes Limited, and Mr Stephen Akintayo, Chairman of Gtext Holdings, each raised the concerns in separate appearances on a television programme over the weekend, arguing that the scale of recent flooding demands expert scrutiny rather than political debate.
Source: UGC
Highway design under scrutiny
Okengwu acknowledged that Lagos has historically struggled with flooding but said the severity seen this year warranted a closer look at the road's engineering, Nigerian Tribune reported.
"I believe it is both reasonable and necessary for experts to objectively examine whether aspects of the road design, construction, drainage system and any departure from the 2006 gazetted alignment may have contributed in any way to this current situation," she said.
She said the original 2006 gazetted route had already passed the required environmental assessments before the alignment was changed, and that she had flagged engineering concerns during the project's planning stage.
According to her, those concerns went unaddressed, and the road was subsequently rerouted through her estate, resulting in the demolition of properties she and other investors had developed.
She added that her engagement with the Minister of Works over the matter left her unsatisfied, alleging that questions about the environmental impact assessment were set aside.
Okengwu was clear that the Lagos State Government should not bear responsibility for the demolitions, saying the Federal Ministry of Works carried out the exercise while the state government has concentrated on managing flood damage. She commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Environment Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab for their response efforts.
Akintayo cites 'valley effect' and calls for compensation fund
Akintayo identified several causes of the flooding, including blocked drains, weak environmental planning, and the elevation at which the coastal highway was built, Leadership reported.
He argued that constructing the road at a level significantly higher than surrounding communities made it harder for floodwater to drain away naturally.
His central concern was not the highway itself but the decision to move it inland from the original route near the Atlantic coastline.
He said the inland rerouting created a "valley effect" in neighbouring communities, trapping water that would otherwise have flowed out.
Akintayo also pushed back against suggestions that property developers bore primary responsibility for the flooding, noting that developers operate under government-issued approvals and pass agency inspections.
He argued that irregular approvals granted by some officials warranted investigation, and that developers found to have broken rules should face targeted sanctions rather than wholesale demolition of assets worth billions of naira.
To address losses linked to the project, Akintayo proposed an independent compensation fund to be jointly managed by the Federal Government, Lagos State Government and industry stakeholders.
He warned that continuing uncertainty over property rights was already deterring local and diaspora investors from committing capital to Nigeria's real estate sector.
Tinubu named after Lagos-Calabar coastal highway
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will no longer be known by its original name. Minister of Works David Umahi has officially declared.
He noted that the project will now bear the name President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway.
Source: Legit.ng
