By Simbo Olorunfemi
The building of the Second Niger Bridge was first proposed during the 1978/79 Campaign of President Shehu Shagari who ran on the ticket of the NPN.
His and majority of the administrations that came after him could only promise but fail to deliver on the project.
President Obasanjo made some effort but couldn’t deliver, handing over to President Yar’adua a deal that was to see to the project being delivered under 4years for about N60 billion.
But President Yar’Adua also couldn’t do much before he passed on. Then came in President Goodluck Jonathan.
- So committed was President Jonathan to the project that he was quoted in 2012 to have promised to go on exile if he does not deliver the second Niger Bridge by 2015.
But he too didn’t deliver. The PPP arrangement that had been proposed just didn’t fly.
The Buhari administration will finally kick off the project in 2018. ,
The total cost of the project, which comprises of not only the Bridge but over 40 kilometres of a 6-lane Highway, is put at over N400 billion.
The first phase comprises of the Bridge along with a 10 kilometres of the proposed highway, an Interchange and toll station, while the second phase of the project will take care of the rest of the highway.
The first phase is expected to be delivered latest by 2023 at an estimated cost of N260 Billion.
Reports that things are going well in the direction of the building of the bridge being completed soon are reassuring.
That would be prayer answered for many who have relied on the old bridge which was constructed about 60 years ago, overburdened by the high increase in volume of traffic between then and now.
It is a legacy project to the credit of President Buhari.
