FULL LIST: Six Public Facilities Named After Tinubu, Nigerians React

• The Federal Government has renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Tinubu, making it the sixth public facility to bear his name since he assumed office in 2023.

The Federal Government’s decision to rename the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ignited fresh debate across Nigeria, with many questioning why another public facility is being named after a sitting president.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who revealed that the landmark highway project will now bear Tinubu’s name.

The latest development means six public facilities have now been named after President Tinubu since he assumed office in May 2023.

Six public facilities named after Tinubu

The facilities include:

1. Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway – Renamed after President Tinubu in July 2026.
2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja – Formerly the Abuja International Conference Centre, renamed in June 2025.
3. Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex – Nigeria Immigration Service Command and Control Centre, Abuja, renamed in December 2024.
4. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu Building – National Assembly Library, renamed in May 2024.
5. Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks – Nigerian Army barracks in Asokoro, Abuja, commissioned in January 2025.
6. Bola Ahmed Tinubu Polytechnic – Federal Government-approved institution in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

In addition, the Abubakar Imam International Airport in Minna, Niger State, was renamed after Tinubu by Governor Umar Bago in March 2024.

Critics slam decision

The renaming has drawn criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups.

African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the move as “the highest form of sycophancy,” arguing that public infrastructure funded by taxpayers should not be personalised.

Obidient Movement National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, also faulted the decision, noting that the coastal highway is still under construction.

Former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Bode George, urged the government to focus on more pressing national issues, including security and environmental concerns linked to the project.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong described the move as “completely misguided,” saying history—not political appointees—should determine how leaders are remembered.

Executive Director of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, Jackson Omenazu, also argued that national monuments should only be named after leaders whose contributions have stood the test of time.

Supporters defend renaming

Supporters, however, dismissed the backlash.

President of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs, Prof. Hassan Saliu, said naming public institutions after national leaders is not unusual and suggested the controversy has become politically charged.

Former Oyo State Deputy Governor Hazeem Gbolarumi maintained there was nothing wrong with the decision, while 2027 presidential hopeful Professor Christopher Imumolen urged Nigerians to focus on the economic benefits of the highway rather than its name.

Kwara APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, also defended the move, insisting that the identity of the person after whom the project is named is less important than ensuring the highway is completed.