Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed that pictures of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu be displayed on the First Niger Bridge after the completion of the ongoing rehabilitation work.

Umahi gave the directive during an inspection of the bridge on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, as he announced that the facility linking Anambra and Delta states would be reopened to motorists next week.

The minister said illegal advertisements currently mounted on the bridge would be removed.

He directed that future advertisements must receive approval from the Ministry of Works.

“Once we are done with work on this bridge, I want all the illegal adverts on this bridge removed. Anyone who wants to advertise should apply to the Ministry of Works. For now, the bridge will be decorated with the pictures of President Tinubu,” Umahi said.

“The President has worked so hard and we need to reward his hard work by decorating this bridge with his pictures.”

Umahi’s directive came amid ongoing rehabilitation of the ageing bridge, which was shut to traffic earlier this month after the discovery that some of its structural components had been vandalised.

The First Niger Bridge connects Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State and remains an important route for motorists and businesses travelling between the South-East and South-South regions.

The Federal Government had initially scheduled the closure of the bridge from September 7 to September 21 to allow emergency maintenance work to be carried out.

However, persistent rainfall affected the rehabilitation and forced an extension of the closure by another week.

The bridge is now expected to reopen next week, subject to the completion of the remaining work.

Umahi said the government would not reopen the bridge simply because the initial deadline had passed.

He said the structural repairs must be completed before motorists are allowed back on the facility.

“We will be here next week to open the bridge,” he said.

The minister explained that the intervention became necessary after vandals removed bolts, nuts and parts of the expansion-joint steelwork from the bridge.

According to the minister, the vandalised bolts have now been replaced and secured. The specialised expansion joint that was removed from the bridge has also been manufactured and brought into the country for installation.

Other work carried out on the bridge includes repairs to the carriageway and walkways, replacement of expansion joints, installation of CCTV cameras and additional lighting infrastructure.

Umahi also directed that more solar-powered streetlights be installed and that the CCTV system be completed.

He said the surveillance system would be connected to the Second Niger Bridge to strengthen monitoring around the two major bridges.

The minister further ordered an assessment of the structural components of the bridge, including sections above and below the water, to determine their condition.

He said some parts of the bridge would also be repainted, while sections of the approaches to the bridge would be reconstructed with concrete instead of asphalt where necessary.

Umahi also raised concerns about activities around the bridge that could affect its structural integrity.

He directed the governors of Anambra and Delta states to pay closer attention to scrap markets in their states, following the discovery that components of the bridge had been removed by vandals.

“We will write to the governors of Anambra and Delta states to tell them to monitor the scrap market closely. When I was governor, I banned all scrap activities in Ebonyi State because they contribute to the vandalisation of public infrastructure.”

He also appealed to residents to report suspicious activities around the bridge to security agencies.

The minister said the government was spending significant resources to repair infrastructure damaged by vandals and warned that such activities could continue to create additional costs for the country.

Umahi also spoke about dredging activities around the bridge. He said activities capable of affecting the foundation or structural stability of bridges must be restricted.

He disclosed that his ministry would engage security agencies on the enforcement of restrictions on dredging around bridges.

The minister equally directed that security checkpoints should not be established within 200 metres of the bridge.

He argued that prolonged traffic caused by checkpoints could create additional pressure on the structure because of the heavy concentration of vehicles.

“We will write to the security chiefs to tell them that there would not be need for any checkpoint 200 meters to this bridge because it causes traffic on the bridge, which is not good for its health.”

Umahi reminded residents that the South-East did not give Tinubu strong electoral support during the 2023 presidential election but argued that the region had continued to benefit from federal government projects under his administration.

“I want to say to Ndigbo that we should not throw away our votes in 2027. In the last election we did not vote for him so well, yet he is bringing projects to our region,” the minister said.

Umahi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, also referred to Peter Obi, the former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, while making his case for the Tinubu administration.

He challenged those supporting Obi’s presidential ambition to identify projects they believe the former governor has attracted to the South-East.

“I have a bragging right in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and I’m proud of him and will be willing to show anyone who wants to know all that he has done,” he said.

“Peter Obi is our brother and we do not hate him, but we need to be realistic this time. I don’t care about people abusing me on social media, they should only tell us what Obi has attracted to the South East.”

He also commended the contractor handling the rehabilitation for the progress recorded despite the weather conditions.

The minister thanked the governments and people of Anambra and Delta states for their cooperation during the closure.

He also apologised to motorists and businesses affected by the diversion of traffic.

“We thank the people for their patience. The bridge is not just healthier, but will last longer now and motorists will enjoy driving on it. We thank the governors of Anambra and Delta states for their commitment and support to the rehabilitation of the bridge.”

The First Niger Bridge was completed in 1965 and has remained one of the major transportation links between the eastern and western parts of southern Nigeria.

The Second Niger Bridge, which was commissioned in 2023, was developed partly to provide an alternative route and reduce pressure on the older bridge.