MORE than once, successive governments at the federal level had raised hopes on the commencement of the Second Niger Bridge project. And more than once, the much anticipated project was stalled, after ground-breaking ceremony, with government officials citing technical and other reasons that left a huge question mark on the sincerity and commitment of government to the project.
But, a piece of good news on the project is on the horizon again. This time around, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Agency (NSIA), operators of the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund(SWF) has said that it has set aside a whooping $760m this year for the Second Niger Bridge in continuation of the Federal Government’s investment being undertaken through the Public Private Partnership(PPP). The amount will make the bridge one of the most expensive of its kind. German construction firm, Julius Berger, is a major stakeholder of the consortium in the partnership deal that was packaged by the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
The MD/CEO of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, Dr. Uche Orji, while disclosing the investment plan, said the capital outlay represents the total cost of the project . He gave assurance that the Second Niger Bridge which has been a major political talking point of past administrations will kick off soon.
We want to believe that there should be no further delay on the project and it will no longer be a subject of politics to get votes. Successive governments have used the Second Niger Bridge, conceived to ease traffic and provide an alternative to the aging first Niger Bridge at Onitsha, as a political football to be kicked about, only to abandon it after elections are over.
But, there is no denying the importance of the Second Niger Bridge as a critical arterial infrastructure that will link the rest of the country with the states in the South-East and South- South of Nigeria. The relief that a Second Niger Bridge will provide to the existing Niger Bridge and provide a veritable gateway to other parts of the country, should not be allowed to be stalled again.
All identified hiccups with the contract should be quickly addressed to ensure a hitch-free execution of the project. It will be recalled that the existing Niger Bridge was commissioned on January 4, 1966. The idea of a Second Niger Bridge started in the 1970s but its execution had been constantly delayed due to problems, finance and political will. Two months ago, the Federal government announced N14.4bn contract for early works on the Second Niger Bridge to Julius Berger. Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, assured that the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari is committed to making the project a reality. We urge the government to show sincerity of purpose. Two years ago, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission(ICRC) had explained that the construction of the new bridge would not go on in its present format. It listed the cost of the project, the toll fees to be charged under the PPP, and the Design Build Finance Operate Transfer(DBFOT) model. There have also been queries on the consultancy fees paid for the project in the twilight of the immediate past administration.
There is also the issue of 25 years concession period and other unresolved matters relating to the compensation to be paid to the host communities of the bridge. We hope that the optimism raised by the NSIA will not be another hope dashed. The Second Niger Bridge remains a priority for the entire country and should be seen as such. It is well behind schedule as the current one is reportedly aging, due to heavy traffic and overuse. This impedes progress and socio-economic activities in the South-East and surrounding parts of the country.
Let all the relevant authorities involved in making this project a reality rise to the occasion to deliver the Second Niger Bridge. Nigerians also expect transparency and accountability on the project.