President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday through a virtual ceremony, commission seven of his administration’s legacy projects, including the Second Niger Bridge, executed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The seven projects, consisting of three major bridges, three federal secretariats and one road, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, are located in different parts of the country.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) held on April 26, had mentioned the Second Niger Bridge, the two remaining sections of the Abuba-Kano Expressway, Loko-Oweto Bridge and some federal secretariats as some of the projects of his ministry that were ready for to be delivered.
Fashola, whose brief was delivered to journalists at the briefing by his colleague in the Ministry of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had projected May 15 as delivery date for both the Second Niger Bridge and the Abuba-Kano Expressway.
However, announcing the Tuesday commissioning date, the Presidency’s statement said “following through on his administration’s determination to upgrade and expand the nation’s stock of infrastructure, President Muhammadu Buhari will Tuesday, commission seven legacy projects completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the country.
“Comprising three major Bridges, three Federal Secretariats and a Road, the historic event will be headlined by the Second Niger Bridge, which was conceptualized in 2005. In 2014, there was an attempt to begin the project through Public Private Partnership (PPP), but this was not successful. The construction began in 2016 with the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).
“Others are the Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue to link Benue to Nasarawa State and the Ikom Bridge in Cross River State while the Road project is the completed Section of the over 200 kilometres of Kano-Kaduna Dual Carriage Expressway and three new Federal Secretariats.
“The first of the Federal Secretariats at Awka is located at Executive Business District Layout, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State and is situated on a 5.106 Hectares of land. The project was first awarded on 9th December, 2011 but was practically completed and taken over by the Ministry of Works and Housing on 14th July, 2022.
“The Secretariat has a total of 498 Office Space, a Conference Hall, four Committee Rooms, an Exhibition Hall, a Banking Hall, a Post Office and befitting Reception. In addition, the Secretariat has lift facilities, well laid out parking spaces and drainages, staff canteen, fire hydrant and other vital facilities.
“The second, Federal Secretariat Gusau, Zamfara State is located at Unguwan Dan Lawan, off Sokoto By-Pass Road, Gusau, Zamfara State. The project is situated on a 7.5 Hectares of land and was awarded also on 9th but was practically completed and taken over by the Ministry on 30th November, 2022.
“The third to be commissioned is the Federal Secretariat Yenagoa, which is located at Alamieyeseigha Road, in Bayelsa State. It is situated on a 7.5 Hectares of land and was awarded on 9th December, 2011 but was practically completed and taken over by the Ministry on 30th November, 2022,” the statement reads.
Buhari commissioned a fourth one, the Federal Secretariat Lafia, located at Bukar Sidi along Jos Road, Lafia, Nasarawa State in February this year.
“All the nation’s media stations are implored to stay tuned for the historic commissioning,” the statement reads.
