President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦16.7 billion for the immediate reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which was washed away by devastating floods in May 2025, claiming more than 150 lives and displacing thousands.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed the approval on Saturday in Abakaliki during a Federal Government tour of projects and citizen engagements in the South-East.
“It means a lot to the people. It’s ₦16.7 billion to reconstruct a 10-span bridge. This is music to the ears of Niger people,” Idris said in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim.
The bridge collapse cut off major road access in Mokwa Local Government Area, worsening the plight of residents who also lost homes, farmland, and livelihoods to the flood.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, who inspected the site shortly after the disaster, praised the President’s “compassionate and listening” leadership, stressing that the swift approval showed government’s commitment to easing the suffering of affected communities.
Umahi disclosed that the reconstruction of Mokwa Bridge was part of a broader set of approvals covering all six geo-political zones. These include the rebuilding of the five-span bridge in Wukari, Taraba State, repairs on the Lokoja Bridge, the permanent restoration of the Afikpo–Abia–Imo bridge section, as well as bridges in Kwara, Edo, Kebbi, and Nasarawa States.
According to Niger State officials, 1,354 people were directly affected, 4,534 displaced, and 458 households impacted by the floods. At least 265 buildings were destroyed, alongside two major roads and five bridges, including the strategic Goodwill Bridge on the Mokwa–Jaba Road.
In June, Vice President Kashim Shettima visited the disaster zone and announced an earlier ₦2 billion presidential intervention for rebuilding destroyed homes.
Observers say the latest release for the Mokwa Bridge underscores the administration’s resolve to prioritize infrastructure resilience in the face of climate-related disasters.