Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway — N15.356tn direct award to Hitech
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What happened
The 700km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the flagship of the Tinubu administration's infrastructure agenda, was awarded to Hitech Construction without open competitive bidding — a fact confirmed on the record by Works Minister Dave Umahi on Channels TV in April 2024, who said the award was based on the firm's track record. Critics, including former VP Atiku Abubakar and Funso Doherty, allege the no-bid award to a company owned by the President's ally Gilbert Chagoury breaches the Public Procurement Act 2007; the government maintains it followed due process via restrictive bidding, BPP review and FEC approval. The full contract terms remain undisclosed, and the AGF has opposed an FOI suit seeking the contract documents (The Searchlight, April 2026). Construction is ongoing.
Red flags
Analytical observations against standard procurement-integrity patterns — not accusations.
Analytical observation: the Works Minister himself confirmed on Channels TV (Apr 2024) that there was no competitive bidding and the award was based on track record. Open competition is the default under the PPA 2007; the government claims a restrictive-bidding exception was validly used (Agenda Papers/SaharaReporters, Apr 2024).
Analytical observation: Hitech is owned by Gilbert Chagoury, widely reported as a close ally of President Tinubu — a proximity flag analysts note when combined with a no-bid award (Agenda Papers, Apr 2024). Not evidence of wrongdoing on its own.
Analytical observation: nearly two years after award, full contract documents have not been published and the AGF is litigating against an FOI disclosure suit, which prevents independent value-for-money assessment of the ~N4bn/km cost (The Searchlight, 2026-04-11).
Sources
- Agenda Papers (via SaharaReporters/Channels TV) — 'Tinubu's Lebanese ally, Chagoury Hi-tech construction company awarded Lagos-Calabar coastal road project without competitive bidding for N15.3 trillion–Dave Umahi' ↗2024-04-12
- The Sun — 'Lagos-Calabar highway: No further compensation –Umahi' (N15.6tn; N4bn/km) ↗2024
- The Searchlight — 'The Searchlight Investigates: Tinubu's N15 Trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway' ↗2026-04-11
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