LAGOS (Sundiata Post) – The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has praised leading Nigerian businessmen, Tony Elumelu and Aliko Dangote for their support during the emergency repair of the failed section of the Independence Bridge in Lagos.
The bridge, which was closed on April 2, 2025, had caused heavy gridlock, prompting swift intervention from the Federal Ministry of Works.
Umahi, who visited the site less than 24 hours after the closure, announced the successful reopening of the bridge and introduced a new policy for managing federal road closures across the country.
While addressing the public at the reopening of the bridge, Umahi explained that the closure was necessary due to a structural fault in the approach slab, which had weakened the bridge and posed a risk to commuters. However, he admitted that the closure was not properly communicated and did not follow the correct procedure, leading to public inconvenience.
He stated, “So, the reason for the closure was not for pleasure. It was because it became very dangerous for commuters to use the place. But we didn’t do it in the right way. And now, we had a design for the project, and I’ve looked at the design that we intended to use by using God’s wisdom and grace and experience, and we have agreed to redesign the project. It’s going to be redesigned as one span in a bridge.”
Umahi expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his visionary leadership, which he said inspires urgency and accountability in addressing infrastructure challenges. He also thanked the Governor of Lagos State, engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works, the contractor Buildwell Nigeria Ltd, and Hitech Nigeria Ltd for their joint efforts in restoring the bridge quickly.
“So, we remain grateful to Mr. President. We also thank the Governor for his intervention and understanding and the information given to Lagosians that has drastically reduced bottlenecks all over the Island. We are grateful. We are grateful for Hitech. Hitech gave us a lot of support, materials, and equipment. We are very thankful to Hitech. All through the night, they were bringing materials, they were bringing equipment. We also thank very highly our partner Buildwell, in this expert bridge. I absolve them of any blame in this circumstance. I’d rather thank them. They have been working in the past three days and nights, and we are grateful for their cooperation and for the partnership that has helped us to restore this bridge. And, of course, to Chief Elumelu and some other prominent Nigerians like Dangote, for their calls and encouragement. They even requested that they send their planes to carry us, and we said no.”
The Minister also used the occasion to announce a new policy that will guide how federal roads and bridges—especially those of critical importance—will be closed for repairs or reconstruction. He said the policy requires that before any closure is approved, there must be a stakeholder engagement process, including public communication and feedback.
He explained that anyone requesting road closure must state the purpose of the closure, outline the technical issues involved, propose solutions, and disclose how long the closure will last. This information will be shared publicly so citizens can understand and prepare for any disruptions.
He said, “What is to be done on that place, and then will state the technical problems and the technical solution. He will be able to put up all these exposures to the public. So, we request comments from the public and tell them how long it is going to last. And so, with this feedback, everybody is in the know, and then we’ll be able to do that.”
The newly introduced policy aims to improve transparency, reduce hardship caused by sudden road closures, and promote better communication between government agencies, contractors, and the general public during major infrastructure works.
