Businessman whose beachfront store was destroyed hails FG for coastal road

Akin Olaoye, a businessman, has commended the federalgovernment for the Lagos-Calabar coastal road despite being a victim of thedemolitions that trailed the project. Olaoye’s retail store for eyewear, which was located withinthe Landmark beachfront, was destroyed by the federal government in 2024 duringthe commencement of the coastal road project. The businessman had said he received no compensation fromthe federal government. In an X post on Sunday, Olaoye said he drove along theLagos-Calabar coastal road for the first time “after carrying seriousresentment” towards the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The businessman said he stopped to take a picture at thespot where his demolished store was once located, adding that he had paid a“price for the sake of national progress”. “I stopped to take a picture at the exact spot where one ofmy biz locations used to be, Landmark, and I must say, ‘change is inevitable,‘” he wrote. “I, too, paid a price for the sake of national progress. Iwas wrong on this one. Kudos to the presidency for delivering thistransformative project. Hon. Minister Dave Umahi, oga, me, and you still getsmall beef sha!”Drove along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway today for the first time in years after carrying serious resentment toward the BAT administration as someone who once stood in opposition. I stopped to take a picture at the exact spot where one of my biz locations used to be... pic.twitter.com/G6hE2TmUp3— Akin Olaoye (@akintollgate) March 8, 2026Other sections of the coastal road projects are currentlyunder construction. In 2024, the federal government commenced the constructionof the 700-kilometre coastal highway project, which is expected to run throughthe shoreline of beach resorts in Lagos, while traversing eight other states. The project had generated plenty of controversy. Concernswere raised over funding and the businesses that will be impacted duringconstruction. Several businesses and homes were marked for demolition. Theaffected homeowners and business personnel vehemently opposed the project. The popular Landmark Beach and other businesses within thebeach area were affected by the demolition. In December 2025, the federal government temporarily openeda 47-kilometre section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway for vehicularmovement. The section runs from the Ahmadu Bello Way junction inVictoria Island to the Eleko junction in Lagos state.

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