DALLAS — Global affairs analyst and Nigerian-American politician Ejike Okpa has launched a blistering critique of President Bola Tinubu’s infrastructure and economic policies, alleging the administration has systematically sidelined local expertise and devalued the livelihood of citizens.
In a viral interview with News Central TV, Okpa accused the President of insulting the professional integrity of the nation’s technical class. He claimed that Tinubu explicitly told Nigerian engineers they “lack capacity,” using this as a justification to award the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway—the largest public works project in Nigeria’s history—to a Lebanese-owned firm, Hitech Construction Company.
Okpa argued that by bypassing local firms for a project estimated to cost over ₦4 billion per kilometre, the government is effectively killing the domestic engineering industry while exporting massive capital to foreign interests. The analyst further alleged that the Tinubu administration’s fiscal policies have devalued the purchasing power of the average Nigerian by a staggering 300% since May 2023. He linked this to the massive devaluation of the Naira and the removal of fuel subsidies, which he claims have pushed millions into deeper poverty.
While the government touts the 700km coastal road as a “game-changer,” Okpa joined other critics in questioning the lack of a competitive bidding process and the prioritization of a “vanity project” over the rehabilitation of existing, decaying federal road networks. He maintains that “Nigeria’s problem isn’t potential, it’s strategic national leadership” that simply does not believe in its own people.
The Presidency has previously defended the choice of Hitech, citing the firm’s proven track record with concrete pavement technology in Lagos, but the “lack of capacity” label has left a bitter taste among local professional bodies.
