The Federal Government has reopened the First Niger Bridge linking Onitsha in Anambra State to Asaba in Delta State after about 38 days of closure for emergency rehabilitation works.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, reopened the bridge on Thursday alongside federal and state government representatives and traditional rulers from both states.
The bridge was shut to traffic on September 7 after vandalised structural components, including expansion-joint steelwork, were discovered, necessitating urgent repairs.
The closure, initially scheduled to end on September 21, was extended following persistent rainfall and other delays.
Speaking at the reopening ceremony at the Onitsha end of the bridge, Umahi urged residents of the South-East and South-South to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, citing the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects in the regions.
He also commended the governors of Anambra and Delta states, as well as the contractor, SKCC, for their contributions to the rehabilitation work.
The minister said the repairs were aimed at improving traffic flow and enhancing the safety of road users, although he acknowledged that some aspects of the work remained unfinished.
The reopened bridge was adorned with photographs of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Completed in 1965, the First Niger Bridge remains a major transport link connecting Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions.
