2nd Niger Bridge Linked, Engineering Work Completed, to Be Unveiled October

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has disclosed that the ongoing construction of the Second Niger bridge is at 91 per cent complete.

However, the total infrastructure of the Second Niger Bridge, which includes road, bridge and interchange and others is presently at 84 per cent completion.

The completion date, the Authority reiterated would be October this year. The Managing Director, NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, who disclosed this to THISDAY yesterday, confirmed that out of the total project cost of about N206 billion, only N157 billion had been spent on the infrastructure, which is central to the south-eastern Nigeria and the nation as a whole.

“The total project cost is estimated at N206 billion. So far, about N157 billion has been expended on the project. It doesn’t mean that the outstanding sums won’t be utilised. This is just the expenditure to date.

“As it stands, the entire stretch of infrastructure i.e. road, bridge and interchange etc is about 84 per cent done at this point while the bridge alone is over 91 per cent done,” he said.

According to Orji, while in terms of percentage, the major works have been done, the finishing works are quite extensive and would take a few months, stretching into October this year.

On the funding structure of the project, Orji, noted that the Second Niger Bridge was one of the three projects being funded from the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.

The other two projects, according to him, are the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road project and the Lagos-Ibadan express road project.

Orji explained that, “The PIDF is a special fund set up by PMB and managed by the NSIA. The NSIA brought in some of its own capital alongside the capital provided by FG and the capital from returned loot from Sani Abacha.

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