{
  "id": 12850457,
  "title": "Big Tent Decries Tinubu’s Latest Wasteful Jamboree on Incomplete Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/big-tent-decries-tinubus-latest-wasteful-jamboree-on-incomplete-lagos",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T10:41:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/08/big-tent-decries-tinubus-latest-wasteful-jamboree-on-incomplete-lagos-calabar-coastal-highway/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Utomo-led Big Tent Coalition has vehemently criticized the Federal Government's decision to hold yet another lavish inauguration ceremony for the still-incomplete Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Section One. The coalition asserts that this comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with issues such as hunger, insecurity, and low life expectancy, among other challenges.\n\nThe Federal Government's Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, recently announced that the 47.47-kilometre section of the highway is \"ready for commissioning,\" which represents less than 6% of the project's total length of about 750 kilometres spanning nine coastal states. The coalition questions the rationale behind celebrating incomplete infrastructure, asking when the Nigerian government began rewarding partial road networks with grand ceremonies involving motorcades and millions of naira spent from public funds.\n\nThe Big Tent Coalition contends that these ostentatious events are an insult to a nation that continues to lag in key performance indicators such as human development. According to the coalition, Nigeria ranks 164th out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index with a score of just 0.560. Life expectancy in the country stands at approximately 54.5–54.9 years, among the lowest globally. Poverty remains rampant with the World Bank estimating the poverty rate at around 63% for 2025/2026, leaving approximately 139–140 million Nigerians below the poverty line. The education sector is also struggling with a learning poverty rate of about 70% among children under 10, while millions remain out of school.\n\nSecurity concerns are escalating, with Nigeria positioned near the bottom of the Global Peace Index, ranking somewhere between 142nd and 148th out of 163 countries. The nation is among those most affected by terrorism. The coalition argues that underemployment and youth joblessness continue to plague millions, illustrating a widespread lack of decent employment opportunities.\n\nIn response to the government's penchant for staging such ceremonies, the coalition urges citizens to wake up to the reality of the situation. It urges them to reject the pattern of governance that prioritizes pageantry over genuine development, and to vote for leaders who prioritize results, such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who they believe focus on delivering actual infrastructure and improving the indices that truly matter. The coalition concludes by stating, \"Enough of the ceremonies. Deliver the full road. Fix the indices that actually matter. Nigeria deserves better.\"",
  "summary": "Another expensive ceremony for a fraction of a road while Nigerians starve, die young and live in insecurity The Utomi-led Big Tent Coalition has strongly condemned the Federal Government’s plan",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}