Omokri fires back at critics: ‘Lagos-Calabar Highway tolling is not a Scam’

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Social commentator and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has waded into the debate surrounding the planned tolling of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, insisting that critics opposing toll charges are basing their arguments on misinformation.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Omokri clarified that the over 700-kilometre highway is not being fully funded by the Nigerian government, but rather executed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

According to him, while the government is contributing a portion of the funds, “the private sector is contributing a substantial part of the money.”

“Those saying that it is wrong for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to be tolled upon completion because it is being built with public funds mean well, but they may be unaware that that is inaccurate,” Omokri stated.

He went further to explain that even if the road were entirely funded by public resources, tolling would still be justified in order to generate revenue for ongoing maintenance.

“But even if the government funded it 100%, that does not mean it cannot be tolled. Tolling will raise money for road maintenance,” he noted.

Omokri also drew attention to Nigeria’s historical precedence of toll collection, especially before the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, under whom toll gates were dismantled and replaced with a fuel surcharge of ₦1.50 per litre as a form of road tax.

“These toll gates were only removed when the Obasanjo administration implemented a road tax by increasing the cost of petrol and adding a levy of ₦1.50 to every litre of petrol sold in Nigeria,” he wrote.

Challenging critics to verify global practices, Omokri encouraged the public to “Google or Grok” whether public roads can be tolled.

He said such tolling is standard practice in developed countries, including the United States and parts of Europe, as a sustainable means of road financing.

“You will find that road tolling on public roads is a common practice in America and Europe to raise funds for road maintenance,” he added.

Omokri appealed for more informed public engagement on national infrastructure projects, warning against a default posture of suspicion toward government actions.

“Understandably, many of you mean well, but what you think is dishonesty or corruption on the part of the government or its supporters is not always the case,” he cautioned.

“Sometimes, before you go to press or set your ring lights, give the government and its advocate the benefit of the doubt and either reach out for accurate information or research further with an open mind.”

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has sparked intense public discourse over its scope, environmental impact, and funding transparency.

Omokri’s intervention added to the growing voices urging a fact-based conversation around one of Nigeria’s most ambitious infrastructure projects in recent times.