By Francis Ogwo
The second Niger Bridge currently under construction will be completed by 2022.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, during a town hall meeting with stakeholders and host communities over the weekend during which he stated that the project costs about N414 billion.
He added that the bridge alone would cost N206 billion, while connecting roads linking the bridge would cost about N208 billion.
The Minister also inspected the main works and associated infrastructure of the Second Niger Bridge project in Anambra and Delta States while urging host communities and individuals to see beyond personal interests but the long-term benefits of the project
He however lamented that the project has suffered some setbacks due to conflicts on compensation as some grounds on the job had been lost.
Fashola urged people who are agitating in the area, to think about the economic benefits of the project to them.
The Minister spoke on the project: “Let me speak to what this project will do, what it is doing and what it will be delivering. In order to complete this project, this company will be needing 644 aggregates. The contractors won’t import these; they will be buying them from here.
“They will need four million cubic tonnes of sand; 68,000 tonnes of cement and 21,000 tonnes of re-enforcement. The company will need 19m litres of diesel which will be supplied by contractors as it does not produce diesel while 1400 indigenous workers will be employed to work on the bridge.”
The second Niger Bridge is part of the 3 flagship projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, which according to the Ministry would all be ready by 2023.
The projects include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Dual Carriageway, the main works and associated infrastructure of the Second Niger Bridge and the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway.
Recall that the bridge was initiated under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan and is being sustained by President Muhammadu Buhari. The bridge is being constructed across Nigeria’s Niger River and will span from Asaba to Ozubulu and Ogbaru areas
