First Niger Bridge reopening pushed to next week as rehabilitation advances
The Federal Government says the First Niger Bridge linking Anambra and Delta states is expected to reopen next week, extending a closure that has disrupted journeys between Onitsha and Asaba.
Works Minister David Umahi gave the latest timeline after inspecting rehabilitation work at the bridge, but said traffic would not resume until critical structural and safety work had been completed.
The bridge was originally closed from September 7 to 21 for emergency maintenance after officials reported vandalised structural components, including bolts, nuts and sections of expansion-joint steelwork.
Persistent rainfall disrupted the repairs and pushed the reopening beyond the original September 21 target.
Repairs advance, but reopening remains conditional
Umahi said vandalised bolts and nuts had been replaced and secured, while a specialised expansion-joint component removed from the bridge had been manufactured, brought into the country and replaced.
Other work includes sections of the carriageway and walkways, street lighting, CCTV installation and further structural assessment above and below the water level.
The government says one carriageway could be opened once newly laid concrete reaches the required strength while rehabilitation continues elsewhere.
But the position remains conditional: the First Niger Bridge is still closed, and no fixed reopening date has been confirmed.
Closure keeps pressure on commuters
The extended shutdown has forced motorists using the Onitsha-Asaba corridor onto alternative routes.
Commuters have reported heavier congestion, longer journeys and higher transport costs since rainfall delayed the rehabilitation.
Motorists have been advised to use the Second Niger Bridge through Obosi and the Onitsha-Owerri Road towards Asaba and other destinations.
For traders, commercial drivers and other road users, every additional day of closure adds time and cost to movement across one of the major links between the South-East and South-South.
Vandalism raises a wider accountability question
The repairs have also renewed scrutiny of how major public infrastructure is protected.
Umahi called on the Anambra and Delta governments to monitor scrap markets more closely, arguing that stolen bridge components may enter the scrap trade.
He also said vandalism had forced government to replace damaged or missing components and directed that CCTV coverage on the First Niger Bridge be completed and linked with surveillance infrastructure at the Second Niger Bridge.
Those claims remain attributed to the minister.
The accountability question now extends beyond reopening: how will authorities prevent another round of vandalism after emergency rehabilitation is completed?
For motorists, the immediate position is unchanged. The bridge remains closed, rehabilitation is continuing, and the Federal Government is targeting reopening next week once the required safety work is completed.