Umahi Alleges Landmark Group Illegally Coveted Lagos Waterfront Amid Lagos-Calabar Highway Development | Prestige Real Estate News

The Federal Government has accused Landmark Group of illegally coveting the Lagos waterfront, a critical area along the route of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this revelation during an inspection of Section 1 of the highway on Friday, while also announcing progress on the road project.

Umahi stated that the waterfront in question is federal property, as upheld by the Supreme Court and the constitution. “What Landmark referred to as a waterfront was never a waterfront. It is part of the Eko Atlantic designed to protect Victoria Island and Lekki from ocean floods,” Umahi explained.

He accused Landmark Group of unlawfully occupying the area over the years, leasing it out to others without authorisation. “The waterfront legally belongs to the Federal Government, and we had to reclaim it to ensure the coastal highway passes through its rightful path,” Umahi said, challenging the group to produce legal documentation of ownership.

The Minister clarified that while shanties were demolished to clear the highway’s route, no permanent structures belonging to Landmark Group were affected. He added that compensation, amounting to ₦18 billion, was paid to all affected property owners as directed by President Bola Tinubu.

Addressing concerns about the disappearance of beach life, Umahi stated that the area was originally part of broader plans to protect lives and properties in Lekki and Victoria Island. “The shoreline belongs to the Federal Government, and its use is essential for national development,” he reiterated.

Umahi also announced that President Tinubu will inaugurate the first 20 kilometers of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway by May 25, 2025. The highway, a major infrastructure project, is being executed in phases to ensure timely completion.

“We are confident that the first 20 kilometers of Session 1 will be ready for commissioning by May 2025, with an additional 10 kilometers in Session 2, reaching the Lagos-Ogun border, also completed,” Umahi stated. He attributed the accelerated progress to the contractor’s division of the 47-kilometer stretch into five sections, allowing simultaneous work across all areas.

Further commenting on the level of progress made so far on the project, the minister said the federal government is set to review the highway from 10 to six lanes, and at a lower cost, saying that the review had become necessary because of variations in designs and interventions such as evacuation of refuse of 10 metres depth and backfilling.

He also cited salvaging of some structures by the magnanimity of President Bola Tinubu as he said, “What we are going to do is that we are going to use part of that land to put a service lane for them.

“We are going to be reviewing this contract to accommodate what is not there. There are places like that Landmark where we have to build a retaining wall.”

He added that the entire 750km stretch of the road would be illuminated with solar streetlights with security cameras and points, as well as trees to protect the road and give aesthetics, and gave the assurance that 20km of the first section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway would be among other critical road projects to be inaugurated by May 29, 2026

“We have directed controllers to concentrate on a number of projects.

“At least, a minimum of three projects must be commissioned,” Umahi said.

The Minister revealed that discussions are ongoing with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) regarding gas pipelines along the Ondo and Ogun segments of the highway.

In a broader context, Umahi outlined Tinubu’s commitment to balanced national development. He disclosed that at least five major infrastructure projects in each geopolitical zone would be completed and inaugurated by May 2025.

Key projects receiving attention include the Sokoto-Zamfara-Kastina-Kaduna Highway, Kano-Katsina Road, and the Northern bypass, with phased commissioning planned due to funding constraints.

“This administration’s focus on inclusivity ensures that every zone benefits from President Tinubu’s developmental agenda,” Umahi concluded.

The combined efforts to address ownership disputes and advance critical infrastructure signify the Federal Government’s determination to ensure transparency and progress in national development.