The first rehabilitated phase of the First Niger Bridge linking Anambra and Delta states is expected to reopen to traffic next week, Minister of Works David Umahi said on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Umahi gave the assurance after inspecting ongoing rehabilitation works at the Onitsha Bridge Head, according to reports by Channels Television and Vanguard on September 23 and 24, 2026.
The bridge was closed to traffic from September 7, 2026, for emergency rehabilitation after vandalised structural components, including bolts, nuts and sections of the expansion-joint steelwork, were discovered, the Federal Ministry of Works said at the time.
The initial closure was scheduled to end on September 21, 2026, but the reopening was delayed after persistent rainfall affected the rehabilitation work. The extension was confirmed by the ministry’s Acting Federal Controller of Works in Anambra, Timothy Emenike, on September 21, 2026.
Umahi said on September 23 that contractor SKECC had replaced and secured the vandalised bolts, while the specialised expansion joint removed by vandals had been manufactured and brought into Nigeria for installation.
The minister, however, stressed that the Federal Government would not reopen the facility until the major structural work had been completed. He also directed further assessment of the bridge’s structural elements above and below the water level.
Umahi said one carriageway could be opened once the concrete attained the required strength, while rehabilitation continued on the other side. He also said he would return the following week for the reopening of the completed phase.
The First Niger Bridge connects Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State and is an important transport route between the South-East and other parts of Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Works had advised motorists during the closure to use the Second Niger Bridge and designated diversion routes.
Delta State Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, also commended the pace of the rehabilitation during the September 23 inspection, saying the directives issued by Umahi had been implemented.
