The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has accused Landmark Africa of land grabbing along the Lagos beachfront and threatened legal action against its chief executive, Paul Onwuanibe, over the company’s account of what the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway cost it.
Speaking on Arise News on Friday, 23 October 2026, the minister disputed Landmark’s loss figures and challenged the company to publish its Certificate of Occupancy.
Strip away the politics and there is a question in this that affects every landowner on a Federal Government right of way: when the state needs your land, what does your C of O actually prove, and what are you owed?
The numbers in dispute
| Figure | What it relates to |
|---|---|
| ₦42 billion | Losses Landmark says it incurred after structures were demolished within the highway’s right of way |
| $250 million | Investment figure the minister says Onwuanibe previously cited |
| 250 metres | The shoreline forming part of the project’s right of way, per earlier reporting |
| May 2024 | When the dispute over the beachfront and the highway first surfaced publicly |
Umahi’s argument is that the two figures do not sit together – that a company which invested $250 million cannot credibly claim ₦42 billion of losses from the demolition of structures he describes as mostly shanties, and that the hotel demolished did not belong to Landmark.
He also says the Federal Government adjusted the highway’s route around Landmark’s permanent structures to avoid destroying its main facilities.
Why the C of O challenge matters
The sharpest thing the minister said was not about money. It was this: publish the C of O so Nigerians can see the full extent of the land ownership.
That is the correct question in any acquisition dispute, and it cuts both ways.
For the landowner: a C of O defines exactly what you hold – the plot, the area, the term, and the purpose. If the state takes land outside that boundary, or takes more than the right of way requires, the certificate is your evidence.
For the state: the same certificate shows what you do not hold. Beachfront land is frequently claimed beyond the extent actually granted, and a large part of what gets built along the Lagos shoreline sits on land with no title at all, or on a right of way that was reserved before the certificate was issued.
Either way, the document decides the argument. A claim of loss without a title to point at is an assertion.
What a C of O does and does not do when a road comes through
Under the Land Use Act, the Governor can revoke a right of occupancy for overriding public interest – which includes roads and infrastructure. That power is not in doubt, and it is not new.
What the Act does is set out what you are compensated for. In broad terms, compensation covers the value of your interest in the land and the improvements on it – buildings, works, crops – assessed as at the date of revocation. It does not simply mean the market value of the land plus everything you hoped to earn from it.
That is why acquisition disputes so often turn on three unglamorous questions rather than the big number in the headline:
- What exactly do you hold? Plot, area, term, and a survey that matches the ground.
- What was on it? Approved buildings and structures versus informal ones. The difference in compensation is enormous.
- When was the right of way reserved? Land already committed to a road corridor before your grant carries far less than land taken from an established development.
What this means if a highway is planned near your land
- Check whether the corridor was already reserved. Ask the state lands bureau and the highway authority whether your plot falls within a right of way, and when it was designated.
- Keep your C of O and survey current and matching. A certificate whose area does not match the survey is the first thing that gets picked apart.
- Document improvements as they are built. Photographs with dates, approvals, bills. In an acquisition, the burden of proving what stood on the land falls on you.
- Do not build into a corridor on the assumption that compensation will follow. Structures put up after a right of way is reserved are the hardest to value and the easiest to dispute.
- Get legal advice at the demolition notice stage, not after. Once structures are down, the argument is about valuation, and evidence is harder to assemble.
What is not established
This is a public dispute between a minister and a developer. There has been no court finding on title, no concluded compensation assessment, and no ruling on the ₦42 billion figure. The minister’s characterisation of the structures as shanties is his account; Landmark’s loss figure is the company’s account.
Both are claims. Neither has been tested.
Frequently asked questions
Can the government demolish a building on land with a C of O?
Yes, if the right of occupancy is revoked for overriding public interest, such as a road or infrastructure. The Act provides for compensation rather than a veto.
Does a C of O guarantee I will be paid what my property is worth?
No. It establishes what you hold, which anchors the assessment. Compensation covers your interest and improvements as assessed, not the price you would have achieved in a private sale.
Why does the minister want Landmark’s C of O published?
Because the certificate defines the extent of the land owned. In his account, much of what was demolished stood outside any valid title or on land reserved for the highway.
What is the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway?
A Federal Government highway project along the Lagos coastline. Its right of way crosses beachfront land, which is why the dispute has centred on shoreline ownership.
What should I do if my land falls inside a road corridor?
Establish exactly what you hold, when the corridor was reserved, and what approved structures stand on the land. Take legal advice before demolition, not after.
Last updated: 24 October 2026. The allegations, the ₦42 billion and $250 million figures, the 250-metre shoreline and the date of the interview are from Nairametrics’ report of 23 October 2026, which quotes the Minister of Works. These are disputed claims by the parties, not findings. General information about Nigerian land law, not legal advice.
