NewStats: 3,263,975 , 8,182,119 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 06:43 AM 52461y

How Lagos-Calabar Highway compares with Pan-African Cairo-Cape town route

Controversy deepens as Lagos-Calabar Highway Costs 7 times more per km than Pan-African Cairo-Cape town route


Nigeria’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700 km project estimated at $11–13 billion (₦15.6 trillion), is sparking outrage as its per-kilometer cost of $15.7–17.9 million dwarfs the $1.65 billion budget for the 10,228 km Cairo-Cape Town Highway—Africa’s longest road, stretching across 10 nations at just $156,000/km.

Critics, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2024, label the disparity a “highway to fraud,” noting the Nigerian project’s cost nearly matches the combined 2024 budgets of all 36 Nigerian states (₦15.91 trillion).

The Lagos-Calabar Highway is far more expensive per kilometer than the Cairo–Cape Town Highway, though the latter’s total cost is unclear due to its fragmented development. The Nigerian project’s high cost, opaque contracting, and environmental risks have drawn criticism, while the transcontinental highway’s costs are distributed across nations and decades.


Key Cost Comparisons

Per-Kilometer Cost:

Lagos-Calabar: $15.7–17.9 million/km (₦4 billion/km), according to Nigeria’s Works Minister David Umahi, who defended the figure by comparing it to inherited projects like the Eleme-Onne Road (₦5.2 billion/km).

Cairo-Cape Town: $156,000/km for the Ethiopian section (170 km), funded by the African Development Bank and built by Egypt’s Arab Contractors. Even if the total $3 billion estimate for the full route is used, the average cost remains below $300,000/km.

Funding Models:

Nigeria’s project relies on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with Hitech Construction financing 70% and the government covering 30%. Critics question the lack of competitive bidding and ties between Hitech and President Tinubu’s allies.

The Cairo-Cape Town Highway is piecemeal-funded by multilateral institutions (e.g., AfDB) and national budgets, leveraging existing roads to reduce costs.

Economic Justifications:

Nigerian officials say the Lagos-Calabar Highway will boost GDP by $45 billion in five years and create jobs, but opponents argue the cost is untenable amid economic crises.

The transcontinental highway prioritises regional trade and tourism, with projected gains from streamlined cross-border logistics.


Controversies and Challenges

Nigeria: The Lagos-Calabar project faces backlash over environmental damage (wetlands/mangroves), forced demolitions, and allegations of inflated costs.

Cairo-Cape Town: Delays persist due to political tensions (e.g., Ethiopia-Egypt disputes over Nile water rights) and uneven funding across nations.

https://businessday.ng/news/article/how-lagos-calabar-highway-compares-with-pan-african-cairo-cape-town-route/#google_vignette

Nigerians probably deserve bad leaders. Because the amount of people defending this scam project is astonishing.

Somebodypleasesummarize, I no get time to read epistle

Meaning?

Nice.

Nigerian Leaders just don't care.

This is fraudulent and should be treated as treason. The people involved in costing the project should be hanged.

A highway to fraud

The Lagos-Calabar coastal Highway exemplifies fiscal irresponsibility costing seven times more per kilometre than the Pan-African Cairo–Cape Town route, yet offering neither the scale nor the strategic integration.

As aptly described by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, it stands as a 'coastal highway of fraud' a money laundering project, a glaring symbol of inflated contracts and misplaced priorities that offer little in return for the national interest.

Kwarruption

There is something I noticed about Nigerian presidents, past and present.

Each one of them always come up with one major project to steal or embezzle money.

Obasanjo: That infamous stable Electricity contract
Goodluck: Security equipment purchase, CBN contracts, subsidy too.
Tinubu: Savings from subsidy, and mainly this Lagos to Calabar coastal road contract...


Modified: I omitted the president between Jonathan and Tinubu.

Buhari: Nonexistent Airline deal, extended power supply deal, false subsidy removal deal, oil deals(since he was the first president to make himself minister of petroleum), Sahara desert(Nigeria to Nigeria) connecting highway contract, naira design contract.

Highway to fraud

So what are we going to do about it? Nothing
Abi

The shut up

Very funny and there is nothing special about the road.

Corruption promax

There is an existing road linking Lagos with Calabar. Makes more sense to maintain it than to embark on constructing a new road that will gulp billions of $.

TouchNfollow:

https://businessday.ng/news/article/how-lagos-calabar-highway-compares-with-pan-african-cairo-cape-town-route/#google_vignette

Did any president also commission 20 kms of the Cape Town road?

Tilumbu is a big fraud

Dem no Wan hear, you can't wake people that are pretending to sleep. Efforts not worth it.

The commissioning of the non-existent road is similar to Buhari's government shamelessly borrowing bags of rice to form a pyramid in Abuja just to deceive Nigerians that the country was self-sufficient in rice production.

One day, the citizens would be permanently cured of the malady of indifference!

The Zoo deserve bad leaders.

Topnotch95:
Corruption promax

That’s APC for you- worse corruption like everything else that they complained about in 2015.

socialmediaman:
The 2018 Rating by Transparency International placed Nigeria at 148th position out of 180 countries. Nigeria was improving over the years under the previous government, until Buhari got elected as president, things became worse.

There is a difference between fact and fiction. We need to face facts, Buhari is worse than GEJ when it comes to fighting corruption, at least that’s what the facts prove.

Most of us believed there was corruption under Goodluck Jonathan’s Government. I agree with those who did, there was corruption, but not as bad as it is today under Mohammadu Buhari.

In 2012, Nigeria was placed at 139th position, In 2014, Nigeria gained 3 steps and was placed at 136th position. Under Buhari, Nigeria has lost many positions down to 148th.

There’s no further proof needed that corruption has worsened under Buhari’s government compared to previous years.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/02/21/transparency-international-ranks-nigeria-148th-worlds-least-corrupt-country

Ok

PUNANI01:
The Zoo deserve bad leaders.

How many Nigerians that you know, are animals who live in your zoo

Not a highway. Its a scam way.

Is the Egypt road also and cut cut like the highway of fraud?

Is it being figuratively constructed also

APC is a lie manufacturing Enterprise

And their brainless zombies are simply scum

This is enough to cause revolution

Badexx:
Tilumbu is a big fraud

He knows that Nigerians know he is a big fraud. So he is maximising his time and settling those he should.

It has always been like this in every sector in this country reason why we're not actually developing

@Reno Omockery, And Those Palliatives Hungry APC ers, You Can't Be Defending Tinubu / APC Government Lies & Not Be Sounding Stupid & Foolish

Pur Kwarrupshin !!!

I wonder why we all acting surprised?
Ask Rotimi Amechi how much he used to construct the railway from Kano to Lagos
Guess what? it cost the Federal Government approximately $6.91 million (or N2.6 billion) per km of that railway when it could have way less than half the cost.

Take a read here below:
https://nairaland.macsoftware.info/6370955/nigerias-rail-costs-exceed-aus

So why don't we all just STFU and enjoy the ride to doomsday? huh? how about that?! instead of crying like a lil bitch. I suggest we all lay then and take it nice and gently. Like TF is wrong with us? all our focus is on hating on the igbos while our eyes are shut to the real culprits -- your leaders and their masters overseas.

You know wetin dey vex me this country is NOT meant for your growth. You just got to find a way to them cos the money to be looted out of Africa is too much. it has no end because it's printed from the thin air by the banks. So one Nigeria here we go

OR.. you find a way to unite and fight them all

Cairo to Cape Town.

Mehn. That's a long long drive.