FG Reopens First Niger Bridge After 38 Days as Umahi Urges Tinubu Support

The Federal Government has reopened the First Niger Bridge linking Onitsha, Anambra State, with Asaba, Delta State, after 38 days of emergency rehabilitation, with Minister of Works Dave Umahi using the occasion to urge residents of the South-East and South-South to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. The bridge was reopened on Thursday, October 15, following repairs to damaged structural components and delays caused partly by persistent rainfall.

The bridge was shut to traffic on September 7 after inspections revealed vandalized components, including steelwork around its expansion joints. The closure was initially expected to last until September 21 but was extended after weather conditions and other delays disrupted the rehabilitation schedule. During the closure, motorists were directed to use the Second Niger Bridge as an alternative route between the two states.

Speaking at the reopening ceremony at the Onitsha end of the bridge, Umahi praised Tinubu’s administration for its infrastructure investments in the South-East and South-South, arguing that the regions had benefited from federal road projects. He said he had no regrets supporting the President and described Tinubu as qualified to lead the country, urging residents to show appreciation through their votes in the next presidential election.

The minister also commended the governments of Anambra and Delta states and the contractor, SKCC, for their contributions to the rehabilitation. However, he acknowledged that the work was not yet fully completed, indicating that additional work would still be required even though the bridge had reopened to traffic.

The rehabilitation included structural repairs and resurfacing, as well as the installation of solar-powered streetlights and closed-circuit television cameras, according to Channels Television’s report on the project. Umahi also said median barriers and designated turnaround points had been provided to improve traffic management, while security monitoring centres were being established at both ends of the bridge. These measures are intended to strengthen surveillance and help protect the ageing infrastructure.

Built in 1965, the First Niger Bridge is a major transport corridor connecting commercial centres in the South-East and South-South. Its closure disrupted a key route for commuters, traders and freight operators, pushing traffic onto alternative roads and adding time to journeys. Reopening the bridge restores direct movement across the Niger, although the minister’s acknowledgement that work remains unfinished means continued maintenance and protection of the structure will remain important.

Umahi’s appeal for electoral support also places the reopening within the early political contest ahead of the 2027 general election. The Independent National Electoral Commission’s published timetable lists January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections. The bridge’s reopening is therefore both an infrastructure development and a platform for the administration’s political messaging, while residents and businesses will judge the intervention in practical terms, including safety, reliable access and the durability of the repairs.