The Federal Government has initiated talks with Nigerian diaspora investors whose properties were impacted by the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
The representative of the investors, Stella Okengwu, confirmed this in a statement on Monday.
According to her, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, met with representatives of the Coalition for Civil Society of Nigeria on August 6 in Abuja, where he announced a channel of dialogue for the aggrieved investors.
She added that top government officials were also expected to meet soon with delegates from the affected investors.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, flagged off by President Tinubu in May, is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects of the current administration. But its realignment has sparked public outcry and litigation from investors who allege that due process was not followed in the demolition exercise.
The PUNCH reported how indigenes and residents of Okun Ajah community in Eti-Osa Local Government protested the planned demolition of their community following the diversion of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project.
The estate was eventually demolished on October 5, 2024, by the Federal Ministry of Works to give way to the project construction. This also resulted in a series of protests by the investors.
While commending the new development, Okengwu also described the dialogue as a defining moment for reconciliation.
She said, “This gesture alone speaks volumes. It sends a strong signal to the world that Nigeria is serious about protecting foreign direct investment, especially from its own citizens all over the world.
“We are also grateful to the coalition of civil society, whose mediation and civic engagement played a pivotal role in facilitating this dialogue. Their bridge-building efforts are deeply appreciated and show the power of organised civic voices in national healing.”
She clarified that diaspora Nigerians were not against the federal government and its developmental projects, adding that they were development partners.
She continued, “The US$250 million WIN HOMES Estates project in Okun Ajah, now demolished, was a beacon of that commitment. We believe in the future of this country. We brought our hard-earned resources home, not to exploit, not to speculate, but to rebuild, to restore confidence, and to create jobs.”
Okengwu noted that the demolition of the $250m WinHomes Estates project in Okun Ajah without prior notice or compensation shattered investors’ trust and sent shockwaves through the diaspora community.
“For us, this is more than a meeting; it is a defining moment of dialogue, restoration, and reconciliation. It sends a strong signal to the world that Nigeria is serious about protecting foreign direct investment, especially from its own citizens all over the world,” she stated.
She added that the demolished project had already provided jobs for unemployed youths and boosted small businesses in the area before it was pulled down.
“Our protest has never been political or anti-government. It was a call for fairness, for restitution, for the rule of law,” she said, urging the government to compensate affected subscribers and give presidential protection to future diaspora projects.
