The announcement was made during the Edo Independence Day gala night at the State Villa in Benin City on Friday, October 3, 2025.Umahi revealed that Edo was not initially part of the highway’s original alignment, a project conceptualized 47 years ago by Tinubu. 

However, the president directed its inclusion, ensuring the route now spans Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River. 

“The president has given you 100km of the two lanes of this coastal highway,” Umahi told Edo stakeholders.The minister commended the Edo government and residents for their support of the Tinubu administration. 

He also praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for committing to address critical sections of the Benin-Sapele-Warri highway, which Umahi described as a “death trap” for motorists. 

Additionally, Umahi lauded the contractor, CBC, for their quality work and instructed the Federal Controller of Works in Edo to provide daily progress updates.Governor Okpebholo expressed gratitude to Tinubu for including Edo in the coastal highway project and for ongoing federal road improvements in the state. 

He described the decision as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to Edo’s development and urged residents to support the president’s re-election bid in 2027. 

Okpebholo emphasized his administration’s focus on transforming Edo’s infrastructure, citing his recent inspection of the Benin-Sapele-Warri road, where he witnessed commuters’ hardships.

The governor stressed the importance of collaboration, stating, “If we all do our part, no one will criticize our president. To earn more support, we must improve our roads, whether through federal or state efforts.”