Nigeria’s $11 billion coastal highway: Ambition vs. Rising seas

Nigeria is building a 700‑kilometre coastal highway linking Lagos to Calabar by 2028. President Bola Tinubu, seeking a second term in January, inaugurated the first stretch on his two‑year anniversary, calling it a “revolution” in transport and tourism.

The six‑lane expressway cuts through palm groves and fishing villages, a stone’s throw from the Atlantic.

 But critics question its sustainability. Rising sea levels are rapidly eroding the Gulf of Guinea coastline, threatening the very ground beneath the asphalt.

The $11 billion project went to Hitech, a Nigerian firm owned by Lebanese businessmen and Tinubu associates.

The same company built Eko Atlantic, a largely empty ocean‑reclaimed “Dubai of Africa.”

Supporters tout the highway as a legacy. Opponents see a costly gamble against the tide.