Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says Federal Government is constructing, repairing and rehabilitating a total of 40 major bridges across the country.
Fashola, who stated this while inspecting the Loko-Oweto Bridge, said the work on the bridges were in progress inspite of the paucity of funds confronting the Federal Government.
He said apart from the Loko-Oweto bridge project, work had been going on on the Second Niger Bridge, the Ikom Bridge and 37 other bridges in Nigeria, which were being constructed, repaired or rehabilitated by his ministry.
The minister named some of the other bridges to include the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Murtala Mohammed Bridge in Koton Karfi and the Isaac Boro Bridge in Port Harcourt.
Others include Chanchangi Bridge in Niger State and the Tambuwara Bridge in Kano.
The ministry’s Director, Public Relations, Boade Akinola, quoted Fashola in a statement on Sunday as saying, “This government in spite of very limited resources and having to borrow, is simply doing almost the near impossible in terms of infrastructure.
“Mr President continues to give his support and commitment to infrastructure. His understanding of the purpose of infrastructure for growth and development is very clear.”
On the construction of the Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue, the minister said the facility had offered shorter route for travellers, reduced travel hours to its barest minimum and facilitated redistribution of wealth in the local communities.
Fashola inspected the bridge in company with his counterparts from ministries of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, George Akume.
The minister said, “The (Loko-Oweto) bridge provides a shorter route, cutting off about four to five hours. For someone coming from Cross River to Abuja by road, ordinarily he will have to go from Calabar to Ikom, Ogoja to Katsina-Ala and then join Markudi, then through Lafia, Keffi and Akwanga into Abuja.
“But now you have a bifurcation through Oweto to Nasarawa.”
The information minister, on his part, explained that it was the loans collected by the Federal Government that were being expended on the development of infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
“Yes, we are taking loans. We are also making judicious use of the loans. And while these loans have a life span of 20 to 50 years, the roads we are constructing will have 50 to 60 years’ lifespan and outlive many of us,” Mohammed said.