Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed the removal of all illegal advertisements mounted on the First Niger Bridge linking Anambra and Delta states, ordering that the facility be decorated with photographs of President Bola Tinubu after the ongoing rehabilitation works are completed.
Umahi gave the directive on Wednesday during an inspection of the emergency rehabilitation of the bridge at the Onitsha Bridge Head, where he also announced that the structure is expected to reopen to motorists next week, subject to the completion of outstanding structural works.
The First Niger Bridge was closed to traffic earlier this month after officials discovered that critical components, including bolts, nuts and portions of the steelwork around the expansion joints, had been vandalised. The initial closure was scheduled to end on September 21 but was extended by one week following persistent rainfall that disrupted the rehabilitation work.
Umahi said the Federal Government would not reopen the bridge until the necessary structural repairs had been completed, stressing that safety would take priority over pressure to restore traffic.
He said the vandalised bolts had been replaced and properly secured, while the specialised expansion joint removed from the bridge had been manufactured and brought into the country for installation.
“We are not going to be stampeded to open the bridge until the major structural work has been achieved,” Umahi said.
However, the minister expressed confidence that the rehabilitation was progressing satisfactorily and said the bridge would reopen next week.
“We will be here next week to open the bridge,” he said.
Umahi said additional works would be carried out before and after the reopening, including repainting the bridge’s structural components, kerbs and metal elements, as well as reconstructing sections at the entrance and exit.
He also disclosed that only one carriageway would initially be opened to traffic, while work continues on the other section. According to him, the second section would be reopened after the concrete works have attained the required strength.
Beyond the structural rehabilitation, Umahi directed the removal of illegal advertising installations on the bridge.
“Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed. Anyone who wants to advertise should apply to the Ministry of Works. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu,” he said.
The minister linked the proposed display of the President’s photographs to what he described as Tinubu’s infrastructure projects and interventions in the South-East.
“The President has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures,” Umahi said.
Umahi subsequently used the inspection to make a political appeal to people in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general election.
He urged Ndigbo to consider the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects in the region when making their electoral choices.
“I want to say to Ndigbo that we should not throw away our votes in 2027. In the last election we did not vote for him so well, yet he is bringing projects to our region,” he said.
The minister also challenged supporters of Peter Obi to identify projects they believed the former Anambra State governor had attracted to the South-East.
“Peter Obi is our brother and we do not hate him, but we need to be realistic this time. I don’t care about people abusing me on social media, they should only tell us what Obi has attracted to the South-East,” Umahi said.
Umahi’s comments on the 2027 election formed part of his broader argument that voters in the region should assess the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects and other interventions before deciding how to vote.
The minister also raised concerns about the security of the bridge and the need to prevent further vandalism.
He said the Ministry of Works would engage the governors of Anambra and Delta states over the monitoring of scrap markets in both states, arguing that closer supervision was necessary because stolen components from public infrastructure could end up in the scrap trade.
He urged residents to regard the protection of critical infrastructure as a collective responsibility and report suspected acts of vandalism to security agencies.
Umahi also directed security authorities to avoid establishing checkpoints within 200 metres of the bridge, arguing that such checkpoints could create traffic congestion and place additional pressure on the structure.
The minister further banned dredging activities around the bridge, warning that such activities could affect its structural integrity.
The rehabilitation programme has involved several components, including replacement of vandalised bolts and expansion joints, reconstruction of sections of the carriageway and walkways, installation of CCTV cameras and streetlights, and other maintenance works.
The ministry also plans to install additional solar-powered streetlights and complete the CCTV surveillance system, which Umahi directed should be linked to the Second Niger Bridge.
The minister said the bridge would undergo further assessment to determine the condition of its structural elements both above and below the water level.
He commended the contractor, SKECC, for the progress made during the rehabilitation, particularly the replacement of the vandalised structural components.
Umahi also acknowledged the cooperation of the Anambra and Delta state governments during the closure and rehabilitation period.
The closure of the First Niger Bridge had caused disruption for motorists travelling between the South-East and South-South, with traffic diverted through alternative routes, including the Second Niger Bridge. Persistent rainfall subsequently delayed the initial reopening schedule.
The minister apologised to motorists for the inconvenience caused by the closure, explaining that the intervention was necessary to address structural concerns and improve the safety and durability of the bridge.
He said the rehabilitation would leave the bridge in better condition and enable motorists to use it more safely when it reopens.
The First Niger Bridge remains an important transportation link between Anambra and Delta states and a major route connecting the South-East with the South-South.
With the emergency repairs nearing completion, the Federal Ministry of Works is now targeting next week’s reopening, although Umahi has maintained that traffic will only resume after the outstanding structural works have been completed.
The minister’s inspection therefore combined two major issues: the technical rehabilitation and security of the historic bridge, and his call for the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects in the South-East to be considered in the region’s political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.
