FG Recommits to 2022 Completion Date for Second Niger Bridge

The federal government has reiterated that the construction of the Second Niger, which would serve as a link between Edo, Delta and Anambra States would be completed as scheduled in 2022.

The bridge, which was initiated by former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is being constructed across the Niger River, and is intended to ease traffic congestion spanning from Asaba to Ozubulu and Ogbaru areas of Delta and Anambra States.

It’s a 1.6-kilometre infrastructure, including a 10.3 km highway and a toll station in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) involving Julius Berger, National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the federal government.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who spoke during a recent inspection tour of projects in the South-east region, stated that the infrastructure policy of the present administration was hitting the right buttons across the country.

A statement by the Deputy Director (press) at the Ministry of Works and Housing in Abuja, Stephen Kilebi, said the minister also inspected the construction of Umunya Road in Awka, Anambra State, where he expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work.

 

He charged the contractor to expedite action on the project and the construction of the second Niger Bridge, which he said had reached over 30 percent completion level.

The statement added that the minister restated that the Second Niger Bridge would be completed in 2022, noting that it was capable of aiding President Muhammadu Buhari's plan to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.

During the tour of Amansea section of the rehabilitation of the Onitsha-Enugu expressway in Anambra State; the Federal Secretariat in Awka; National Housing Programme at Isiagwu; the Second Niger Bridge and the National Housing Programme in Asaba, Delta State, Fashola said it was part of the reasons the president had continued to emphasise his commitment to infrastructure as the quickest way to massive employment.

According to him, “Policies have very diverse and extensive impact on the people, so when the president says he wants to lift 100 million people out of poverty, he knows what he is saying and he knows some of the right buttons like infrastructure to press.”

Fashola said the capacity of Nigerians, who will work on the drains, electric fittings and other parts of the construction, would be greatly improved, while the living standard of the community and its environs would also be enhanced.

At the National Housing Programme site at Isiagwu, the minister noted that he observed significant improvements, especially when accessing the site compared to what occured when he first came to the site.

He said it was the long-term vision that the state government would open up the community, noting that it was capable of changing the entire face of the town.

While inspecting the Federal Secretariat project in Awka, the Supervisor, Mr. Nnamdi Umeji, who conducted the minister round the site said the project had reached 90 percent completion.

The statement stressed further that Fashola also inspected the National Housing Programme in Asaba along the Benin-Asaba expressway which had 12 contractors on site.

It added that the Project Supervisor, Mr. Godwin Otobo, assured the minister that the first phase of the semi-detached houses had reached almost 100 percent completion level.