I have taken time to review and examine the proposed cost of doing 700km coastal road by the FGN at N15 trillion ($13 billion). This translates to about N21.42 billion/$17.85 million per kilometre.
I have also taken time to review the cost of building similar coastal roads in NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, ASIA AND CHINA (even the ones that included underground tunnels and bridges along the route).
I also reviewed the maintenance costs of those roads annually (especially, those that are over 80 years old in the US).
The consensus is that to build an average 1km coastal road (just one lane of 6 feet wide, 11 inches thick concrete base, with kerbs, drains, furniture and markings etc), costs between $156,000/N187.5m to $250,000/N300million
What is not yet clear, is the number of lanes that the FGN planned to do?
We do not also know the overarching reasons, behind the choice of a Hitech to do the road. What global experiences, do they have in coastal roads construction and development, (At other places around the world).
In saner climes, where there is accountability, transparency, credibility and respect for the people, in how public funds are spent, there should be out there, the Bill of Quantity (BOQ), developed and used to support this huge road construction contract.
We are yet to see the economic impact assessment research and report on this proposed coastal road project; in a country that is home to 197m poor people, 20million out of school kids, 49% illiterates and all manner of bandits, cut throats, terrorists, kidnappers etc.
$13bn/N15trillion, is a whole lot of money to spend on just 700km coastal road..
Already, it seems as if a majority of the media groups/operators , and a massive crowd of social media bandits, have already been recruited to ram this down our throats…to accept this, without questions.
If I am to be the one interviewing Dave Umahi, based on very factual research findings before me, I will make him sweat in the pants [ to justify, how/ how he and President Tinubu wants to spend $13bn on 700km Road..
Most unfortunately, we do not have an independent national assembly, with the required rigour, integrity, deep knowledge, capacity, faculties, independence, discipline and focus to interrogate this …
I also expected the Labour PARTY and PDP, to have strong teams of deeply knowledgeable and experienced professionals in place , dedicated to each key sector of the Nigeria economy.
Their assignment will be to interrogate every major decisions of the current government at all levels and arms, and subject to granular interrogations (while proferring superior and better, more cost efficient and economic enhancing alternatives ways of doing it).
For your information, $13billion is enough to build a brand new 1600km of double lane standard guage rail project, that runs all the way from Portharcourt, going across the River Niger, Asaba – Benin- Ore- to Lagos to Kano.
What is actually the priority of this government?
Is it optics, or to build tangible infrastructure projects, that adds more catalytic and incremental values to our national economic development?
At this juncture, I feel so sorry for Nigeria and Nigerians …
We sincerely and passionately want Nigeria to work, but unfortunately, it seems as if we are in for another long ride..
God have mercy on us all.
OBIARAERI Nnaemeka Onyeka wrote in from Abuja and can be reached on WhatsApp: 09090900989.

The biggest threat to the United States of America is not China, but peace.
World peace will put an end to the American dollar empire built around war, the war economy, and war trade.
When there is peace in the world, Americans will be lost.
They will not know what to do, as many of those who are employed simply to incite wars and use their tools will be unemployed.
The entire military-industrial complex will be out of business.
All US military bases in the world will be redundant, as will all aircraft carriers, military aircraft, intercontinental ballistic missiles, weapons of mass destruction, and all supporting war industries.
Employment will become the number one problem in the United States When the American war machine is idle due to inadequacy, all CIA operators will be out of work.
All fake news about threats and enemies will become jokes.
The military budget of nearly a trillion US dollars would be completely prohibitive without wars and without enemies.
When there is peace in the world, Americans will have to create jobs for themselves, to make themselves useful again as responsible people, not warmongers and murderers, not war merchants.
There will be no one to buy the expensive war machine, and no need for military bands also known as allies.
Americans denounced the recent peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered by China, describing it as a threat to American interests.
The Americans are all ready to break this peace agreement.
This is how evil the Americans are, all ready to make war or not and against peace.
Peace is against the interests of Americans, an evil empire that thrives on wars and instability and sells weapons to kill and destroy in wars.
The Americans denounced China’s proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of peace negotiations, and the Americans also said that there can be no ceasefire.
The people of the world have woken up to the evil of the Americans. Everyone wants peace except the Americans.
Only the blind and foolish still support the evil warmongering Americans and their evil ways.
Chua Qinling is a Chinese writer and wrote the article on March 24, 2023.

It has been confirmed that Israel’s forces are vastly superior to Iran’s when it comes to technology.
However, Iran, has massive stockpiles of cheap but effective weapons in its arsenal.
Since 2022, Iran has provided more than 1,000 Shahed-136 UAVs, as well as Shahed-131 and Mohajer-6 UAVs, to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In May, Iran began assisting Russia in establishing a Shahed-136 UAV production facility in Russia, according to the DIA.
It’s safe to assume that Iran has hundreds if not thousands of one-way drones in its inventory to attack Israel.
Israel would counter ballistic missiles with its Arrow interceptors and drone attacks possibly with David’s Sling air defense systems and perhaps with a system called Drone Guard made by ELTA Systems.
Who are their allies? What roles might they play?
Iran’s most important allies are the Shiite militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen that it supports with money, weapons and training. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah would be positioned to play the most significant role.
It’s fought repeated battles with Israel and has been regularly firing missiles, mortars and rockets into northern Israel since war broke out in October between Israel and the Iran-backed militant Palestinian group Hamas.
Hezbollah’s arsenal contains more than 70,000 rockets and missiles, including long-range and precision-guided missiles, according to Israeli intelligence.
An escalation of its attacks on Israel could test the country’s defenses at a time when it was also confronting Iran and Hamas.
Iran’s only state ally in the Middle East is Syria. The government of President Bashar al-Assad would be unlikely to be of assistance given that it’s still struggling to gain control over the entire country following the outbreak of civil war in 2011.