FG assures funding as fifth Benue bridge targets completion by December 2027

The Federal Government has assured that there are no funding constraints delaying the construction of the Buruku Bridge across the Katsina-Ala River in Benue State, saying the strategic infrastructure project is on course for completion by December 2027.

The assurance came as Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, described the bridge as evidence that funds borrowed by the government were being deployed to critical infrastructure capable of boosting economic activities and connecting previously underserved communities.

Speaking during an inspection of the project, Onanuga said the bridge, the fifth being constructed by the Federal Government in Benue State, would improve connectivity between Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states while easing the movement of agricultural produce to markets.

“This one is a federal government project and this bridge in particular is the fifth bridge that the federal government is building in Benue State,” Onanuga said.

He added, “The government has been accused of so many things, of borrowing money and doing this and that. But we can see where the money is going to – to develop infrastructure, to link people who have been forgotten before, to make sure commerce flows freely.

Farmers can get their produce straight to the market, we can shorten travel time between one community and another, especially between the rural areas and the capital.”

According to him, “The one in Buruku is going to affect three states; Taraba, Adamawa and Benue and, of course, connect them to the rest of Nigeria. So it’s going to be beneficial to everybody economically.”

Onanuga expressed satisfaction with the scale of the project, saying, “To me, it looks like a very magnificent project. That’s why I asked the controller whether there was any funding problem. He said there is no funding problem. They are being financed by the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, which means they always get the funds and should complete the project on time.”

Also speaking, Samuel Ode, DELTAat accidents on the Katsina-Ala River.

“This is quite a monumental project. We term it as a golden gift to the people of Benue State by our President. If you know the history of this bridge, we have come a very long way with it. This river has consumed lives and property. There have been a lot of boat mishaps across this river over the decades,” Ode said.

He disclosed that the Benue State Government had fulfilled all obligations relating to compensation and right-of-way acquisition.

“We invited the Director of Civil Engineering to brief us on the status of the project, particularly regarding payment of compensation and the right of way.

” We are satisfied that, on her own part, the Benue State Government has satisfied all those requirements regarding the right of way and compensations.”

Highlighting the economic significance of the project, the deputy governor said the bridge would provide direct access to Sankera, the state’s major food-producing belt.

“This bridge links Buruku Local Government with Logo, Katsina-Ala, Ukum and goes all the way to Taraba State. It is a major link road between the North Central and the North East. You can see the quality of work. SETRACO, one of the leading companies in this country, is constructing this bridge and substantial work has gone on here.”

He added, “This is the yam headquarters of Benue East. It is from here that trucks come from all over Nigeria to carry yams and other food crops.

“Before now, they had to go all the way through Katsina-Ala before heading to the South-East, South-West and South-South. With this bridge, there is direct access to the yam headquarters of Benue. It is going to become a major economic hub in this sub-region.”

Providing an update on construction, Mukaila Danlandi, the Federal Controller of Works in Benue State,, said the 854-metre dual carriage bridge had recorded substantial progress despite seasonal rains.

“The total length of the bridge is 854 metres. It is a dual bridge. We have completed all the substructures. The pile caps have been completed, the piers have all been erected and the precast beams are already in the yard. We are about to launch them, but because of the rainy season and the high water level, we couldn’t continue with some of the major work in the middle of the river.”

He stressed that financing remained secure.

“There is no funding problem. The project is under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, so there is no funding problem.”

Danlandi said the project, which commenced in 2023, was expected to be completed by December 2027.

“The project is expected to be completed by December 2027. We had some challenges when the project commenced because we had to compensate owners of structures and economic trees within the road corridor. We thank the Benue State Government for intervening, and we were able to compensate them.”

The Executive Chairman of Buruku Local Government Area, Raymond Zege Aondoakura, said the bridge would save lives after years of fatal accidents on the river.

“What this project has done to our local government, we can’t even express. Everyone is very happy because we have lost lives in this river behind us. In three years, we have lost almost 200 persons here. This bridge is a relief not only to Buruku Local Government but also to communities in neighbouring states.”

Similarly, Jonathan Ta Modi, Ukum Local Government Chairman, , said the project would strengthen agricultural trade.

“Buruku Local Government is the biggest yam-producing local government in Africa. We have the biggest yam market. This road and bridge will connect our local government and provide the shortest route for distributing our goods. It is going to help our communities and neighbouring Taraba State.”

An indigene of the area and iron bender working on the project, Ilakyaa Keghtor, said the bridge had already created jobs for residents.

“This bridge has brought a lot of benefits for us. More than 50 people from this community are working with the company. Some are security personnel, while others have learned different skills. During the rainy season, we used to experience boats sinking and many lives were lost. I thank God that with this bridge, we will not experience that anymore.”

Meanwhile, during an inspection of the Benue State Government’s high-level underpass and interchange in Makurdi, Ode said the project was improving traffic flow while demonstrating prudent use of increased federal allocations.

“What you see here today is a manifestation of the prudent utilisation and frugal application of the funds coming from the Federation Account, which, as you said, have increased since the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came into being.”

The Director of Civil Engineering in the Benue Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Abraham Tivfa Wombo, said the first phase of the underpass project cost about ₦6.9 billion.

“Before this project, accident cases, deaths, injuries and damaged vehicles were recorded regularly. Since we started using the underpass, accidents have reduced drastically, and the few recorded have been due to reckless driving. Phase One of the project was constructed at a cost of ₦6.9 billion.”

He added that the Federal Government’s ongoing overhead bridge in Makurdi would further ease congestion along the Abuja-Lafia-Enugu corridor.

Danlandi also said the Abuja-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road dualisation project, funded through an Afreximbank loan, was progressing despite heavy rains.

According to him, “Eighty-five per cent of the contract is being funded through the Afreximbank loan, while 15 per cent is funded through counterpart funding from the ministry’s budget. Work is ongoing and the contractor is committed to delivering the project by December 2027 against the original completion date of January 31, 2028.”

At the Benue State University Teaching Hospital,Terungwa Stephen Hwande, the Chief Medical Director, disclosed that the state government had invested about ₦20 billion in upgrading the facility over the past three years.

“The investments the governor has made within these three years at the teaching hospital can be summarised at about ₦20 billion. About ₦2 billion has gone into developing the cancer centre, which will serve Benue and neighbouring states because there is no similar facility in Taraba, Kogi or Nasarawa.”

Hwande said the investments also included a specialised therapy centre for children with autism and cerebral palsy, a molecular laboratory for infectious diseases, an IVF centre offering fertility treatment at subsidised rates, expanded postgraduate medical training, improved water and electricity infrastructure, and increased staffing from about 800 to nearly 3,000 workers.

“People now come from Abuja, Nasarawa, Taraba and Enugu to access services here. We have transformed this hospital into a major referral centre for the North Central region,” he said.