The Second Niger Bridge has been on the drawing board since 1976 until construction commenced on September 1, 2018.
The bridge constructed across the River Niger, connects Asaba (Delta State) with Ogbaru in Anambra State. It is meant to complement the existing one constructed in 1965, which although destroyed during the Nigeria civil war, was reconstructed after the war.
Over the years, it was discovered that the existing bridge could no longer cope with the volume of traffic on daily basis as sometimes, motorists had to spend the night on top of the bridge due to traffic gridlock.
In fact, former President Olusegun Obasanjo performed ground breaking ceremony of the 2nd Niger bridge during his tenure, but nothing much was done before he left office. Former President Goodluck Jonathan also performed the same ceremony at the twilight of his administration. So, when President Muhammadu Buhari announced that his administration would construct the bridge, many people did not believe him, considering that it had previously been used as a political gimmick. But the president has proved the naysayers wrong by completing the project in a record time.
After four years of consistent funding and construction, the 2nd Niger Bridge was opened to traffic on December 15, 2022 for light vehicles only. The test run period would last from December 15 to January 15, 2023.
The bridge had gulped a whopping N336 billion as at February, 2022, although it was gathered that the cost had since gone up.
The length of the bridge is 1.63 kilometers, while the adjoining roads from Oko Amakom in Delta State to the bridge and from the Onitsha end of the bridge to Obosi interchange brought it to about 12 kilometers.
The journey to its actualisation started with the creation of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund in 2018. The PIDF was created to accelerate the execution of certain critical, strategic infrastructure projects essential to the rapid growth and modernization of Nigeria’s economy and the 2nd Niger Bridge was a major beneficary.
In the words of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, who routinely inspected the bridge while the construction lasted, the project will offer significant socio-economic benefits for the contiguous states and indeed the entire nation by easing traffic flow, improving road safety, and creating greater opportunities for residents and neighbouring states, thereby regenerating economic life. During those visits, Fashola always felt happy interacting with direct beneficiaries of the project, including cement, sand, iron rods suppliers, as well as food vendors who serviced over 1000 workers directly and indirectly earning their living from the project.
He was also delighted that property owners on both sides of the adjoining roads to the bridge were smiling home as the value of their properties appreciated very much. For instance, Saturday Vanguard gathered that a plot of land between the foot of the bridge and the Obosi interchange has gone up from about N200,000 to about N5 million within the past six months.
On the source of funding of the bridge, Fashola said it was constructed with recovered looted funds and investment income from the country’s oil assets.
The Minister said it was President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment towards completing the bridge no matter what it would cost made it a high priority project.
While the construction lasted, many federal government delegations visited the bridge to assess how the funds being approved by the Federal Executive Council for the project was being utilized.
Although the bridge is now temporarily open, the contractor said it is not yet suitable for heavy duty vehicles due to small turning radius at the Obosi end. There is also heavy duty restriction banners on the bridge to ensure that only light vehicles use it, just as there would be crash barriers on the Asaba- Onitsha expressway to avoid traffic u- turn that could cause congestion.
Fashola, who described the bridge as one major poverty reduction index achieved by the Buhari administration, observed that it would reduce the long time spent on the old bridge.
“With this bridge, it takes just few minutes to cross from Asaba to Onitsja so that people can go and do more productive things”, he said.
He acknowledged that there are still a few things to be done at the Obosi interchange and at the Asaba end, which might lead to the extension of the final completion date. “Our decision is that since it it is motorable, let us open it to reduce people’s suffering this Christmas period,” he said. On ground, it was observed that the toll gate at the Asaba end and some civil engineering works are yet to be completed.
One noticeable thing observed at the site is that the number of workers has reduced considerably, an indication that the company is rounding up the work in the area.
What excited the people most as soon as officials of the Federal Ministry of Works removed the barriers to enable vehicles to drive on the bridge was the business prospects the bridge had provided for them. Some residents of Odekpe in Ogbaru and other people plying the Onitsha-Owerri expressway also jumped up in excitement and hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment towards the completion of the project. Many traders in and around Onitsha and even those from outside Anambra State are already acquiring spaces down the bridge along the Obosi interchange for various kinds of business. A property developer, Mr. Ignatius Obimma said he is planning to build a shopping mall on two plots of land he has acquired close to the Obosi interchange.
An elated Fashola observed that the construction of the bridge had helped to boost people’s income in the area, noting that the value of property on both sides had suddenly increased tremendously. He, however, reminded road users that it would be counterproductive if they become reckless and attract unnecessary mishaps upon themselves and others.
“The maximum speed limit on Nigerian roads is 100km per hour. Don’t drive 101km per hour on this bridge. The president will be happy to see users drive safely and responsibly while using this bridge, especially during this Christmas and new year seasons”, he added.