The estimated ₦15 trillion Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and unaccounted fuel subsidy savings have raised questions about the Tinubu administration’s handling of public funds, according to Kio Amachree, political scientist and President of Worldview International.
In an article dated 18 October 2026, Amachree called for an independent audit of the highway project and a public account of the money saved after President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy in May 2023.
He said Nigerians needed clear records of government spending, contract awards and the use of subsidy savings, amid economic hardship and allegations of irregularities in public spending.
Highway contract raises procurement questions
Amachree questioned the award of the initial Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway contract to Hitech Construction without an open competitive tender.
He noted that the company was associated with Gilbert Chagoury, a longtime associate of Tinubu. Chagoury was convicted of money laundering in Switzerland in 2000 over funds stolen under the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha.
Amachree said Chagoury was fined one million Swiss francs and agreed to return about $66 million to Nigeria. He questioned why a company associated with the businessman received the highway contract without open competition and full public disclosure.
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The controversy also concerns changes announced by Works Minister David Umahi in October 2026 involving about 104 kilometres of the Ondo–Edo corridor.
The government maintains that the original 750-kilometre highway has not been reduced and that the proposed reconstruction of the East–West Road is additional work.
Amachree said the government should explain the changes, disclose any extra expenditure and state the project’s final cost.
He also called for the release of the complete contracts, feasibility studies, environmental assessments and payment records.
He maintained that infrastructure projects should not provide cover for secretive contract awards or political favouritism.
Subsidy savings and public spending under scrutiny
Tinubu announced the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, promising that the savings would fund national development. Nigerians have since faced higher transport costs, rising food prices and an increased cost of living.
Amachree cited a 2026 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which said expected subsidy savings, estimated at up to two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), had not clearly accrued to the federal budget in 2025.
The administration has maintained that debt servicing and other obligations absorbed much of the benefit. Amachree called for published figures showing the savings, expenditure, beneficiaries and audited accounts.
He acknowledged that the absence of clearly identifiable savings did not, on its own, prove that money had been stolen. However, he said the government needed to reconcile the figures publicly.
Amachree also raised questions about political activity ahead of the 2027 presidential election, citing Nyesom Wike’s statements about delivering states for Tinubu.
He said political mobilisation was legitimate but warned against electoral interference. He called for the protection of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s independence and investigations into credible evidence of attempts to influence elections.
He also cautioned the president against assuming that ethnic ties would guarantee continued support in the Southwest, where families face the same economic difficulties affecting other parts of the country.
Amachree called on the National Assembly, the Auditor-General and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to carry out their duties without political interference.
He said proven corruption should lead to prosecution and the recovery of stolen public funds, while independent investigations should also clear allegations that could not be substantiated.
WHAT READERS SHOULD KNOW
Amachree’s article was dated 18 October 2026. He is the president of Worldview International and is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
The highway project is estimated at approximately ₦15 trillion. The government maintains that the original 750-kilometre route remains intact.
The IMF figure cited by Amachree puts expected fuel subsidy savings at up to two per cent of GDP. The report said these savings had not clearly accrued to the federal budget in 2025.
Amachree called for an independent audit of the highway, a public account of subsidy savings and investigations into suspected procurement irregularities.
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