FG Moves To Expand Niger Bridge, Expressway

The Federal Government has given details of the expansion plans scheduled for the Lagos –Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge.

The Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, provided the insight while receiving the management team of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in his office.

Onolememen, who was represented by the Minister of State in the ministry, Mr Bashir Yuguda, said the major projects to be enhanced were the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the proposed additional 39km road linking the Second Niger Bridge.

“Projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be increased to a four-lane carriageway with the construction of a flyover, while the 2nd Niger Bridge is coming with an additional 39km dual carriageway along the Onitsha-Enugu axis.

“There are many other projects but for now the ministry is prioritising these two key projects,” the minister said.

He said there was a need to speed up the project, adding that the project needed to be completed before the end of the present administration.

The minister called for more collaboration with organisations in development projects across the country.

The Managing Director of the authority, Uche Orji, said there was a need for collaboration between NSIA and the ministry on road infrastructure development, adding that the collaboration was to enhance speedy completion of road projects.

Orji said the agency’s aim was to help reduce road fatalities to the minimum and to enhance free movement of goods to boost socio -economic activities.

According to him, infrastructure development in any country was a sure way of improving the economy.

He said the NSIA was working in line with the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s Transformation Agenda as it related to the road sector.

A joint team of the ministry and NSIA was later set up to enhance the partnership for infrastructure development.