The Second Niger Bridge is one of the legacy projects the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, commissioned in the twilight of his administration. The bridge had become a subject of political campaigns. At some point, the construction and delay in its completion became a source of worry to many Nigerians, especially the South-East people. Now that it has been completed and commissioned, every care must be taken to ensure that the bridge remains up to standard in a long time to come.
The construction and the eventual commissioning of the bridge went through a tortuous journey. Successive military governments tinkered with the project but failed to commence it. The Gen. Ibrahim Babangida regime, for instance, reportedly challenged the Nigerian Society of Engineers in 1987 and later obtained a master plan of the bridge from the society. This was not realised until Babangida left power.
When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo came to power in 1999, he too promised to deliver the bridge. His administration conceptualised it in 2005 but didn’t do much until five days to the end of his second tenure in 2007. It was then he flagged off the project in Asaba. His predecessor, Umaru Yar’Adua inherited the project. He was to complete it in three-and-half years at the cost of N58.6 billion. Nothing much happened until Yar’Adua died in 2010. Goodluck Jonathan who succeeded Yar’Adua also promised to deliver the project before the end of his tenure in 2015. His administration tried to start the real work in 2014 through Public Private Partnership. He even said he would go on exile if he failed to deliver the bridge as promised. Jonathan failed to fulfill his promise.
When Buhari came, he reassessed the contract and changed the original design of the bridge. The initial sum for the fresh contract was N206billion to be funded with the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), created by the Buhari administration to hasten the completion of key infrastructure projects. Construction essentially started on September 1, 2018. It was to be completed in February 2022. This completion date could not be realised as projected. It was partially opened between December 15, 2022 and January 15, 2023 to motorists. To access the bridge, a temporary exit route was constructed close to the foot of the 1.4km long first Niger Bridge at the Asaba end. This was to ease the gridlock usually experienced on that road during the Yuletide.
Motorists and travellers going to the South-East have always had it rough, especially during the end of the year activities. A lot of man-hours are spent between Asaba and Onitsha via the old bridge built since 1965 by the Tafawa Balewa government. It is expected that the Second Niger Bridge, which is 1.6km long, will relieve the traffic. There are ancillary infrastructure such as a 10.3km highway, a 1,600 m long reinforced concrete river crossing, one motorway junction, Onitsha-Owerri Road interchange, and a toll station at Obosi in Anambra State. The bridge, built by Julius Berger, can accommodate more than six vehicles. Unlike the old bridge, it has a demarcation that separates inward and outward-bound cars.
It has a lot of promises and economic benefits for Nigeria. It is not just a major link between the South-East, South-South, South-West and the North Central; it will also boost economic activities among the people of these zones. Besides, it will lessen the fuel and man-hour spent on traffic between Asaba and the old bridge. It is worthy to note that it is one thing is to build the bridge and another thing to maintain it. This bridge should not be like many other important projects that we built and abandoned to rot away.
All the rails and fittings in the Second Niger Bridge should be maintained and protected. There should be 24-hour security presence on the bridge. This is partly to forestall activities of vandals who specialise in stealing rails or iron rods from bridges. The other day, the Federal Ministry of Works shut down the Apapa-bound lane of the Marine Bridge located near Ijora Olopa in Lagos for safety of the public. Vandals reportedly damaged the service lane of the deck on the pile bridge, causing it to cave in.
There is need for more road signs and lights to forestall unnecessary accidents on the bridge. Motorists should also exercise caution on the bridge. Government should ensure that the original access road to the bridge is done and commissioned as well. That access road starts from Okpanam which is close to Asaba Airport. This will further ease the gridlock on the old bridge.
While we commend the immediate past administration for fulfilling its promise to complete the bridge, we urge the incoming administration to consider rehabilitating or reconstructing many other infrastructures, like major expressways many of which are now dilapidated.