Lagos-Calabar Highway: Nigerian Govt increases compensation to N18bn

The Federal Government has jacked up compensation to property owners whose property is affected by the construction of Section 1, Phase 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The amount as reviewed has risen from an initial N8 billion to almost N18 billion.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who announced this on Sunday in Lagos during a stakeholders’ engagement on the ongoing construction of Phase 1, sections 1 and 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, said the decision was to ensure that just compensation for the affected citizens is ensured.
Umahi said, “The Federal Executive Council, at first approved N8 billion for this corridor, but today we are hitting N18 billion and that is just for section one.”
He explained that the amounts were justifiable and determined by independent experts, adding that details of property and compensation would be publicly declared to create transparency.
Umahi, while stressing the commitment of the government to openness said that 50 per cent of the compensation had so far been paid to the owners.
The minister added that the compensation would be completed within the next 10 days.
Stakeholders, who include lawyers and valuation experts, however expressed dissatisfaction with the exercise.
They said the compensation was inadequate and the procedure did not follow due process.
Olusola Enitan, a lawyer and valuation expert, added that the compensations fell short of minimum standards.
“The person who was housed is now being accommodated at a rental house without being able to replace what was taken away from him,” he said
He cited several Supreme Court decisions where justices upheld the right to just compensation.
Coming against these observations, Umahi said the Federal Ministry of Works was working within the law and even showed readiness to look through any document presented for speedy assessment of compensation.