Second Niger bridge under construction
Over 5,500 job opportunities were made available to Nigerians, due to the construction of the Second Niger Bridge.
Adeyemo Ajani, Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State, made this disclosure on during the week as the inspection of the project by a delegation led by Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of staff to President Muhammadu Bihari went on.
Others in the delegation were Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, Chris Ngige, his Labour and Employment counterpart, and a representative of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Said Ajani: “At the peak of the construction of this project, we had over 1500 staff employed locally from here. That’s for direct employment. And when you look at the indirect employment, such as the vendors, suppliers and others, over 4,000 persons were engaged for this construction”.
Mr. Ajani said the records showed that the project had improved the socio-economic condition of the people living around the area.
Mr Gambari, president’s chief of staff, in his remark, said the pace of socio-economic development would increase in the area when the project was completed.
The Second Niger Bridge would be commissioned by President Buhari in October 2022, the delegation said.
Mr Fashola, who said the delegation was satisfied with the level of progress, said the project had so far gulped over N400 billion.
Said Fashola while briefing the media: “Before now, some people said there was no bridge, but now we are walking on the bridge”.
The new bridge, which is handled by Julius Berger Nig. Ltd., is 1.6km long. It connects Anambra and Delta States, and is expected to reduce the gridlock and strain on the first Niger Bridge.
