LAGOS, 6 August 2025 — Real estate investor Stella Okengwu has criticised the Federal Government’s compensation package for property owners affected by the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project, describing the payments as “insignificant” compared with the value of their investments.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Okengwu said that developers who had spent over ₦150 million per plot on serviced land—complete with drainage and sand-filling—were being offered between ₦25 million and ₦30 million in compensation. “Some families have been rendered homeless,” she added. “One family was paid ₦20-something million for a house worth over ₦300 million.”
Okengwu also alleged that officials from the Ministry of Works demanded bribes to spare her property from demolition. She claimed these officials admitted privately that certain developers had secured approval to deviate from the original gazetted highway alignment through corrupt payments.
When she raised the issue with a federal controller, Okengwu reported he retorted, “You’re talking too much. Get your subscribers to gather $200 million and bring it to the ministry.” Despite her attempts to seek redress—including a direct, but reportedly harsh, conversation with the minister—the following day saw the commencement of demolitions.
In total, Okengwu said more than 390 plots under her management are affected. “These investors are Nigerians in the diaspora who trusted me with their investment. If I told them what he said, they’d think I was behind it,” she explained.
Drawing a comparison with the United States’ eminent domain process, Okengwu noted: “If a government is coming to take your property for eminent domain, it will make sure you’re okay. The compensation will be good.” She urged Nigerian authorities to adopt similarly fair and transparent practices to protect property owners and maintain confidence in large-scale infrastructure projects.
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