The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, has confirmed that the Ministry of Works applied for the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment ESIA of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway last December. He stated that the ministry received preliminary impact assessment certification for site clearance and scoping for compensation before commencing the project.
Salako made this known during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 World Press Freedom Day.
Nigerians criticized the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for downplaying the ESIA aspect of the N15tn Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project during a stakeholders meeting in Lagos. The ESIA report evaluates the environmental impact of a plan before proceeding with it, including how compensation will be administered.
Salako stated that necessary approvals were granted for the project in phases, given its magnitude.