Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, has criticised the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project as a misplaced government priority, arguing that Nigeria cannot afford it.

Speaking on Tuesday during Prime Time on Arise Television, Duke predicted that the project would not extend beyond Epe, near the Ogun State border.

Duke, the Peoples Redemption Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, argued that government spending should reflect the country’s economic circumstances and that several ongoing projects do not represent a prudent use of scarce public resources.

I'll bring this up. Take the Lagos-Calabar highway. I know the country cannot afford it. You cannot build a road on the coast from Lagos to Calabar. I mean, you can't even go through Bayelsa. Bayelsa is swamp. Even Yenagoa, the capital, is swamp. You'll probably have to build about 100 or 200 bridges to go through those swamps.

Rehabilitate existing infrastructure

Duke said an existing road already connects Lagos and Calabar, arguing that rehabilitating it would be a better use of resources than constructing a new coastal route.

There is already a road to Calabar. I've driven from Lagos to Calabar several times. If the road is poor, fix it.

He also questioned the coastal highway’s purpose, saying that during a drive along the route, activity he observed on the right side toward Epe appeared more like land reclamation than road construction.

According to Duke, money earmarked for the highway could have a greater impact if redirected toward electricity access, healthcare or education.

The amount going to be spent on that road could be better spent providing electricity or upgrading your healthcare system.

He described health-sector funding as inadequate and cited a figure he attributed to the health minister.

Last year, the capital budget that was released for health was barely N36 million. This came from the minister himself. That's pathetic for a country of 230 million people. Not to talk about the schooling system that is hardly funded. So you prioritise, focus on your priorities, recalibrate your revenue system.

Revenue reform and affordable energy

Duke also called for structural reforms to Nigeria’s revenue-collection system. He argued that heavy reliance on taxing corporate profits encourages avoidance and suggested expanding transactional taxes while strengthening revenue administration.

He identified affordable energy as a foundation for economic growth and urged the government to make electricity and other energy sources more accessible.

We are blessed with all the known forms of energy, from hydro to solar to gas to petroleum. I'm not saying give it free of charge, no, but make it available and very affordable because that is going to be a major stimulus for the productivity of your people.

Duke governed Cross River State from 1999 to 2007.

Source note: The quotations were supplied with this report and attributed to Duke’s appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time. Izon Daily independently confirmed his PRP candidacy through published reports but did not locate the complete programme transcript.