KEY POINTS

• Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation cost reached N43 billion.
• CCTV centre cost about N2.5 billion, officials said.
• Government says no tolling plans for bridge.

Nigeria’s federal government said it spent N43 billion on the full rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, while the bridge’s closed-circuit television control centre cost about N2.5 billion, pushing back against reports that overstated surveillance spending.

Works Minister Dave Umahi disclosed the figures on Monday while briefing journalists in Lagos, days after the government inaugurated the CCTV control centre. The bridge, one of Africa’s busiest urban links, connects mainland Lagos to the island business districts and carries hundreds of thousands of vehicles daily.

Umahi said misinformation around the project risked distorting public understanding of infrastructure spending, adding that the CCTV component formed only a small part of the overall rehabilitation contract.

Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation cost breakdown

According to Umahi, the Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation cost of N43 billion covered the complete overhaul of 14 kilometres across two carriageways, each measuring 14 metres in width. The work included rebuilding and repainting concrete sections, replacing worn expansion joints and installing solar-powered streetlights along the corridor.

“The total contract sum for the rehabilitation of the bridge is N43 billion,” Umahi said. “The cost of the CCTV centre is not more than N2.5 billion.”

He stressed that claims putting the CCTV cost at N40 billion were incorrect. The surveillance facility, he said, was embedded in the broader rehabilitation plan rather than executed as a standalone project.

Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation cost and surveillance

Umahi said the administration inherited severely degraded infrastructure when it took office in 2023, citing the Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge. He said President Bola Tinubu ordered a comprehensive reassessment and rehabilitation, including work on bridge components above and below water.

Olufemi Dare, the federal controller of works in Lagos State, described the CCTV centre as the first of its kind on any Nigerian bridge. He said the facility includes a surveillance boat, two Hilux vans, 240 solar panels, 10 inverters, a 300 KVA transformer, a standby generator and multiple monitoring screens inside a fully air-conditioned control room.

The CCTV system supports real-time monitoring of traffic, security incidents and structural conditions on the bridge. Umahi added that authorities now require emergency infrastructure, including a tow van and an ambulance, on the bridge to improve response times.

The minister also reiterated that the federal government has no plans to toll the rehabilitated bridge, seeking to reassure commuters amid concerns over rising transport costs.