The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has clarified the cost of the full rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge and the newly inaugurated CCTV surveillance control centre on the bridge.
Umahi disclosed that the comprehensive rehabilitation of the 11.8km-long Third Mainland Bridge cost a total of ₦43 billion. He explained that the project covered about 14 kilometres by 14 metres across both carriageways and involved extensive concrete reconstruction, repainting, replacement of expansion joints, and the installation of solar-powered streetlights.
“The total contract sum for the rehabilitation of the bridge is ₦43 billion,” the minister said.
He further clarified that the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance control centre recently unveiled on the bridge is a separate project and cost no more than ₦2.5 billion. According to him, the facility—Nigeria’s first of its kind on a bridge—is powered by 240 solar panels and equipped with air-conditioning systems, inverters, a 300KVA transformer, a standby generator, multiple monitoring screens, a surveillance boat, and two Hilux operational vehicles.
“The cost of the CCTV centre is not more than ₦2.5 billion,” Umahi stated.
The minister explained that when the current administration assumed office in 2023, the bridge was in a severely deteriorated state. He noted that the damage affected not only the road surface but also critical infrastructure above and below the water.
“When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge—on the pavement surface, infrastructure above the water, and even infrastructure below the water,” he said.
Umahi added that the poor condition of the bridge prompted President Bola Tinubu to order a complete re-evaluation and total rehabilitation of the structure, including the replacement of worn-out expansion joints, to guarantee safety and long-term durability.