Legal practitioner, Oluwatoyin Aladegbami, on Thursday, September 10, called for transparency and fairness in decisions concerning the alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, particularly as they affect coastal communities in Ondo state.
Aladegbami said Ondo’s coastal communities, especially Ilaje, should not be sidelined in the development of the 750-kilometre highway project, which is expected to connect communities across nine coastal states.
Speaking on the project, she said the alignment of the highway was not merely a technical decision but one with long-term implications for communities, local economies and the environment.
While expressing support for the federal government’s investment in improving connectivity across the coastal states, Aladegbami said decisions on the highway’s alignment should be supported by verifiable technical evidence.
“If engineering conditions justify a change in alignment, let the engineering evidence speak for itself,” she said, calling for the disclosure of relevant geotechnical reports, environmental assessments and comparative cost analyses.
She also urged the authorities to ensure meaningful consultation with communities that could be affected by the project.
According to her, stakeholder engagement should go beyond formal presentations and photographs, as affected communities deserve clear information on how the project could affect their livelihoods, land values and access to opportunities in Nigeria’s emerging blue economy.
Aladegbami clarified that her position was not that the highway must pass through Ilaje irrespective of technical considerations.
“I do not say, ‘Build the road through Ilaje at all costs.’ I say, ‘Show us the evidence on which the alignment has been determined, and ensure that Ondo’s coastal corridor receives proper consideration,’” she said.
She called for an independent technical review of the alignment, saying such a process should consider engineering requirements, environmental implications and the equitable distribution of development benefits.
Aladegbami said the discussion should focus on the broader national development objectives of the coastal highway rather than political rivalry between states.
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