The Ozymandias complex in the Tinubu administration psyche, by Owei Lakemfa

The Tinubu administration's approach to naming major infrastructure projects, particularly the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, has drawn criticism for what appears to be premature and excessive self-aggrandizement. The highway, intended to be a 750-kilometer project, has been officially named the "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Coastal Highway," a decision that has sparked controversy due to its limited progress.

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It is one thing to dream and another thing to have the grace of God for you to actualize that your dream.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, justified the naming by stating that President Tinubu had dreamt of the project 27 years prior when he was Lagos State Governor. However, the article points out that the road is far from completion, with only 47.4 kilometers finished from the Lagos end and 30 kilometers nearing completion at the Calabar end. This represents less than seven percent of the total project, leading to questions about the haste in naming an incomplete road.

Further fueling the controversy is the renaming of the airport in Minna, Niger State. The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation claimed the "Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna" was built by the current administration and named after the president. However, the article refutes this, stating the airport was built over 35 years ago and commissioned in 1990, long before the current governor was even a teenager. This alleged renaming is described as an "illegal renaming" and an example of "sycophancy and falsehood."

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The Yorubas counsel that what you want to name a child, remains within you until it is born.

The author draws a parallel between these naming practices and the "Ozymandias complex," suggesting an inflated sense of legacy-building. The article questions the logic behind renaming national symbols, especially when the projects are not yet completed or, in the case of the Minna airport, were built and named by previous administrations. The renovation of the International Conference Centre in Abuja for N39 billion in 2025 is also mentioned as part of this pattern.

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The truth is that this airport was built over thirty five years ago and officially commissioned on June 20, 1990 by then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.