The Olu of Igbokoda, HRM Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has urged the Federal Government to prioritise shoreline protection for Ayetoro and other coastal communities in Ondo State, warning that unchecked sea incursion could eventually threaten the multi-billion-naira Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The monarch made the appeal during an inspection of Section 4B of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, lawmakers, government officials and representatives of the construction company handling the project.

Oba Afolabi commended the pace and quality of work on the highway, describing the progress as impressive despite the difficult swampy terrain.

“So far, so good. We have taken the pain to also see the pace at which it is going, and we are extremely pleased,” the traditional ruler said.

He noted that the inspection took place during the peak of the rainy season when large parts of the area were submerged, underscoring the environmental challenges facing communities along the coastline.

According to him, many residents had expected the coastal highway to serve not only as a major transport corridor but also as a buffer against the devastating effects of flooding and sea incursion.

The monarch said the Minister of Works’ explanation that geotechnical investigations had shown that constructing the road closer to the coastline would be prohibitively expensive had helped residents better understand why the highway alignment was adjusted.

Despite this clarification, Oba Afolabi stressed that protecting vulnerable coastal settlements must remain a priority.

“As much as we are applauding the road project, now that the road cannot go too close to the coastline, if Ayetoro and other coastal communities are not protected from the violence of sea incursion, we are afraid that the road we are building today may not survive in the future,” he warned.

He appealed to the Federal Government to implement comprehensive shoreline protection measures, saying such intervention would safeguard both the affected communities and the strategic highway.

Earlier, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing it as a long-term investment that would stimulate economic growth, create jobs and improve connectivity across the country.

Umahi explained that the highway’s alignment was altered after geotechnical studies revealed unstable soil extending about 50 metres below the coastline, making the original route technically challenging and significantly more expensive.

He added that the revised alignment would also reduce the need for multiple long bridges, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to minimise such structures where feasible.

he minister assured stakeholders that construction was progressing steadily across different sections of the project and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to completing the landmark highway