By Monday Ajogun

Onitsha (Anambra), May 23, 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday inaugurated the second Niger bridge named after him, the bridge linking Asaba and Onitsha in Delta and Anambra.

Buhari, who performed the inauguration via zoom said that the bridge would improve economic activities of the areas.

According to him, the project handed over on Tuesday symbolised the country’s sharp focus on delivering prosperity.

Buhari said said: “The second Niger bridge will facilitate transport connectivity within the region.

“Those crossing the Niger bridge will no longer experience gridlock as it will help to improve socioeconomic activities of the South East.

“In eight years, I am proud to say that we have developed Nigeria’s infrastructure to GDP from about 20 per cent to over 40 per cent and that is not a small undertaking.”

The president, however, said he was not consulted before the second Niger bridge was named after him.

In his remarks, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said that the bridge would help boost the nation’s economy and in the ease of doing business between the two states.

Okowa, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Ovie Agas, said that the bridge would also create jobs and enhance economic growth within the states.

Also in his contributions, Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra, commended Buhari for keeping to his campaign promises of completing and delivering the bridge to the people of the South East.

Soludo said: “I am personally overjoyed; today is a day of joy, we’ve come to express our gratitude, history is being made today.

“The people of South East have agitated and we’ve complained about five key infrastructural projects.

“These five key projects are supposed to be game changers to the economy of the South East, one of these projects is the dredging of the River Niger.

“The next happens to be the second Niger bridge, the third is the expressway that will lead from here directly to Lokoja , the fourth is the gas pipe line, while the fifth obviously is the railway line.

“Of these five, it is our pleasure that we have come to tick good to one of them and a major one at that, and that is the second Niger bridge,” he said.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Julius Berger, Dr Lars Richter, said that it was an honour for them to be part of the success story of delivering the bridge to the people of Delta and Anambra.