The second Niger Bridge has been named after the outgoing president, Muhammadu Buhari as he performed the commissioning of the bridge via Zoom on Tuesday.

The 1.6km bridge linking Asaba, Delta State with Onitsha, Anambra State and other South-East States was commissioned today.

The president said, “i am honoured to hand over this bridge and other projects for public use. The bridge will reduce travel time and promote economic activities in the South East, South-South and other parts of the country.

“Those crossing the old Niger bridge will no longer experience gridlock as it will help to improve the socio-economic activities of the South-East. In eight years, I am proud to say that we have developed Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure of Gross Domestic Products from about 20 per cent to over 40 per cent and that is not a small undertaken.”

Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola while briefing the press after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, said: “And because my colleagues in cabinet and the governors of the South-East who have spoken to me have decided that the Second Niger Bridge must have a name, in consultation with them, we have decided we would also declare open the Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge linking Anambra State and Delta.”

Also, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, who represented Buhari physically at the event, said, “Today is a great day for us. It is a day we have come together to rejoice. It is a promise given and a promise kept. This bridge signifies the major handshake between the West, East and the North.

“Successive governments have come and gone since 1965 when this 2nd Niger Bridge was first muted, but Buhari’s administration has deemed it fit to complete the bridge. In every project, there must be a hero and a hero must be named after every project and the hero of this project is President Buhari.”