WATCH THE VIDEO HERE The Federal Government has raised the compensation for property owners affected by Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, increasing the amount from an initial N8 billion to approximately N18 billion. The announcement was made by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, at a stakeholder engagement in Lagos, where discussions focused on concerns surrounding the compensation process, among other issues, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday. Umahi explained that while the Federal Executive Council initially approved N8 billion, further assessments by independent experts justified the increase to ensure equitable treatment for affected citizens. “The Federal Executive Council initially approved N8 billion for this corridor, but today we are hitting N18 billion, and this is just for section one,” Umahi explained. The Minister of Works further revealed that half of the compensation has already been paid to affected individuals and promised to complete all payments within the next 10 days. The NAN report highlighted dissatisfaction from some stakeholders, including lawyers and valuation experts, who argued that the compensation was inadequate, and the process fell short of accepted standards. Mr. Olusola Enitan, a lawyer and valuation expert, contended that the amount provided did not meet fair compensation benchmarks. Enitan said, “Somebody who had a home is now renting with no capacity to replace what was taken from him.” He referenced several Supreme Court rulings supporting the right to fair compensation. The 700-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, spanning nine states, aims to boost connectivity and economic growth along Nigeria’s coast. The Works Minister revealed that compensation will be given only to owners with verified titles unless a presidential waiver allows otherwise.
FG increases compensation for Section 1 of Lagos-Calabar Highway from N8 billion to N18 billion
