Enugu-Onitsha: Somebody Was Commending Tinubu; They Were Telling Him,' That's Not the Coastal Road-Umahi

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has pointed to the ongoing reconstruction of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway as evidence of the Tinubu administration's infrastructure achievements, saying the project has earned praise from road users despite attempts by some critics to downplay it.

Speaking during a public address aired by Channels Television on Thursday, July 2, 2026, Umahi said he recently came across a social media post in which an individual commended President Bola Tinubu for the quality of a newly reconstructed road, only to be told by others that the project was not the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

According to the minister, the road in question was the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, which he described as the South-East's equivalent of a "coastal road" because of its scale and quality.

"I saw somebody on social media commending the President, and they were telling him, 'That's not the coastal road.' But that is our own coastal road—beautifully done with concrete, solar lights, CCTV, and we are planting trees," Umahi said.

He added that the ongoing reconstruction has dramatically reduced travel time between Enugu and Onitsha, describing the project as a major intervention in the South-East road network.

Umahi argued that the quality of the highway demonstrates the Federal Government's commitment to delivering durable infrastructure across all regions of the country, stressing that the administration's road projects should be assessed on their impact rather than political considerations.

The minister's comments formed part of his broader defence of the Tinubu administration's infrastructure programme amid continued public debate over ongoing federal road projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other legacy road developments.