After months of hardship for travelers and residents, the Federal Government has announced the release of N16.7 billion for the reconstruction of the collapsed Mokwa Bridge in Niger State. President Bola Tinubu granted the approval following appeals from relevant ministries after the flooding incident in May destroyed the vital link.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris disclosed the approval during a press engagement in Abakaliki on Saturday. He was in the state as part of a federal delegation assessing projects and interacting with citizens across the South-East.
Idris explained that the approval shows Tinubu’s administration “remains sensitive to the plight of Nigerians when emergencies strike.” He praised both the President and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for pushing the matter to the forefront.
“We want to thank Mr. President, and we want to thank the Honourable Minister of Works. We jointly discussed this and approached Mr. President, who graciously approved it. It means a lot to the people. It’s N16.7bn to reconstruct the bridge, a 10-span bridge,” Idris stated.
He noted that Umahi had taken swift action immediately after the bridge collapse by dispatching technical experts for on-site evaluation.