The president participated virtually in the commissioning of the bridge.

Governors of the south-east region of Nigeria have named the Second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari, an official has said.

The bridge was commissioned on Tuesday by Mr Buhari who participated in the event virtually.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the governors took the decision ahead of the commissioning of the project to appreciate Mr Buhari for completing the project after successive administrations failed to do so.

"Following consultations, the governors of the South-east have agreed that the second Niger Bridge shall be named after the Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge," Tolu Ogunlesi, a media aide to Mr Buhari posted on his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.

Bashir Ahmad, a special assistant to the president on digital communications, also announced that the bridge has been named after Mr Buhari.

"The Second Niger Bridge is to be officially called/known as Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge," Mr Ahmad wrote on his Twitter handle, Tuesday.

Ejimofor Opara, a media aide to Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigeria's Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, announced the bridge's new name during the commissioning of the project.

Mr Fashola also participated in the event virtually.

The minister, Mr Opara said, noted that the decision to rename the bridge after Mr Buhari was taken by the governors from the South-east.

The five governors include Mr Soludo (Anambra), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Enugu), Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

The bridge

The construction of the new bridge began on 1st September 2018.

The bridge spans from Asaba in Delta State, south-south Nigeria to Ozubulu, Ogbaru and other communities in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.

The first Niger Bridge, linking Onitsha and Asaba, was completed in 1965 and built by the French construction company, Dumez.