Umahi reopens First Niger Bridge adorned with Tinubu’s pictures
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday reopened the First Niger Bridge linking Onitsha, Anambra State, with Asaba, Delta State, following rehabilitation works, with photographs of President…
The First Niger Bridge, linking Onitsha in Anambra State to Asaba in Delta State, is one of Nigeria's busiest road links, carrying heavy commercial and passenger traffic between the South-East and South-South regions. Its closure for rehabilitation works had disrupted commuters and traders who rely on the corridor, making its reopening a significant development for the local economy and inter-regional travel.
Coverage across outlets agrees on the core fact: the bridge has reopened after a period of closure for emergency works, with Punch putting the shutdown at 38 days. Vanguard's report, however, draws attention to the bridge being decorated with photographs of President Bola Tinubu during the reopening by Works Minister David Umahi, a detail likely to attract attention given recurring debates in Nigeria over public officials using government infrastructure projects to project political images. Details on the scope and cost of the rehabilitation works, as well as who funded the project, have not been specified in the available reports.