Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: The Difference Between A Builder And A Bystander

When President Bola Tinubu announced the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the criticisms came fast and furious. The attacks were not just swift. They were relentless. Many questioned the timing, the cost, and the feasibility. Among the loudest voices was Peter Obi, who dismissed the project as a misplaced priority and predicted it would not be completed in thirty years.

But Tinubu pressed forward. He did not flinch. He did not stall. He built.

Today, the first phase of the highway has been delivered. Commuters who once endured hours of gridlock now offer prayers of gratitude. The road is not just a stretch of concrete. It is a symbol of responsive governance and a rebuke to premature pessimism.

This episode reveals four core traits of Tinubu’s leadership.

First, he is a visionary. He saw what others could not. He understood that connecting Nigeria’s coastal cities would unlock trade, tourism, and national cohesion.

Second, he is focused. Tinubu did not allow opposition noise to derail a strategic initiative. He knew that leadership demands clarity, not consensus.

Third, he delivers. While others speculated, he mobilized. The road moved from blueprint to reality in record time.

Fourth, he listens to the people. The real verdict came not from pundits but from commuters. Their relief and appreciation are the clearest indicators of impact.

There is a moral lesson here. Leaders must be guided by conviction, not commentary. Tinubu was elected to lead. The mandate was his. The responsibility was his. The accountability is his. Imagine if he had abandoned the project because Peter Obi criticized it. What would he have told Nigerians when they asked why the road was never built?

Opposition leaders may raise concerns. That is their role. But when those concerns lack substance, the elected leader must discard them. Progress must not be held hostage by adversarial noise.

Peter Obi should take notes. The Lagos-Calabar Highway is not just a road. It is a masterclass in effective, productive, and progressive leadership. If Obi truly wishes to understand how to govern a complex, resource-rich nation like Nigeria, he should enrol in Tinubu’s school of leadership.

In 2023, Nigeria chose a builder. Not a bystander. And the results are already speaking.

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Photo credit: The Cable / Factsniaja