This photo shows a ferry preparing to cross the river from Asaba to Onitsha in 1959.

This was before the construction of the 1st and the 2nd Niger Bridges.

SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

Next photo shows the First Niger Bridge, which is a 1.4km steel truss bridge that connects Asaba and Onitsha.


SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

The First Niger Bridge was constructed between 1964 and 1965 at a cost of £6.75m by French company Dumez, and officially commissioned December 1965 by then Prime Minister, late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.


SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

The photo below shows the Second Niger Bridge, which is a 1.6km concrete bridge that connects Asaba and Onitsha.



https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

The 2nd Niger Bridge was constructed between Sept 2018 and May 2023 at a cost of ₦336bn by Nigerian company Julius Berger Plc, and commissioned 23 May 2023 by then President Muhammadu Buhari.



https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

To avoid confusion, the First and Second Niger Bridge are often called the First and Second Onitsha Bridge.

This is because there are actually many existing bridges across the River Niger, as shown in the map below.



https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

From 1959 to 2023... quite a journey. Nigeria marches on!



SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

Thanks to the Northerners and gov.

The cost of the first and second bridge gives credence to how inflation has eaten deep into our resources.

May God help us in Nigeria.

This is informative. The days before Nigeria became a joke of a country.

phemsie:
The cost of the first and second bridge gives credence to how inflation has eaten deep into our resources.

May God help us in Nigeria.

You are very correct.

Just imagine the 1965 bridge built for £6.75m, versus the 2023 bridge built for the naira equivalent of £356m!

TUANKU:
This is informative. The days before Nigeria became a joke of a country.

Quite informative - I didn't know there were so many bridges across the River Niger.

NaijaphiliaBlog:
This photo shows a ferry preparing to cross the river from Asaba to Onitsha in 1959.

This was before the construction of the 1st and the 2nd Niger Bridges.

SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

Nice one, OP!

Reminds me of "Chike And The River"...
Asaba was the "poor man's Lagos".

FG wasted funds building a bridge when they could've built a railway


Shows the ruling class are more daft than ever

DyingFetus:
FG wasted funds building a bridge when they could've built a railway


Shows the ruling class are more daft than ever

Actually, there is a 1,443-kilometer Eastern Rail network already being constructed from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, since 09 March 2021.

The project includes renovation / reconstruction of existing lines plus new branch lines to Owerri and Damaturu.

This will eventually increase the total Eastern Rail length to 2,044 km, and completion is scheduled for 2024.

JapaNinja:


Nice one, OP!

Reminds me of "Chike And The River"...
Asaba was the "poor man's Lagos".

Thanks!

NaijaphiliaBlog:


Actually, there is a 1,443-kilometer Eastern Rail network already being constructed from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, since 09 March 2021.

The project includes renovation / reconstruction of existing lines plus new branch lines to Owerri and Damaturu.

This will eventually increase the total Eastern Rail length to 2,044 km, and completion is scheduled for 2024.

Good but

It's not functional yet


They should build railways across every cities and states linking every crannies and corners

StrongestGuy:


Quite informative - I didn't know there were so many bridges across the River Niger.

Actually, apart from the current 8 bridges across the River Niger within Nigeria, other bridges also exist in other countries through which the river passes.

River Niger is 4,200 km long and is the 3rd longest in Africa after the Nile 6,650 km and the Congo 4,700 km.

It originates in the highlands of Guinea, runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Niger, Benin, then through Nigeria to empty into the gulf of Guinea.

See map below:

Interesting!

So the first Niger Bridge was not built by the military government?

NaijaphiliaBlog:
The First Niger Bridge was constructed between 1964 and 1965 at a cost of £6.75m by French company Dumez, and officially commissioned December 1965 by then Prime Minister, late Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.


SOURCE
https://naijaphilia.com/blog/2023/10/10/naija-throwback-the-asaba-onitsha-crossing-1959-now/

NaijaSamurai:
Interesting!

So the first Niger Bridge was not built by the military government?

No, it wasn't.

The first military coup in Nigeria happened on 15 January 1966, the month following the commissioning of the bridge.

In fact, the commissioning of the 1st Niger Bridge was the last public function of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, before he was killed in the coup.

Nice article

culeca:
Nice article

Really nice!

History is interesting.

Forward ever......!



Backward never!!

Oga na gej commission the second Niger bridge,no be that daura long gap tooth chewing gworo man make Una no dey deceive people here with fake news

Irrespective of all d ills & quandroms we found ourselves in, I luv Nigeria wit its history!

Good one. We the Indomie company are seeking for distributors in Portharcourt. If interested let me know at kaladajumbo74@gmail.com

NaijaphiliaBlog:
The 2nd Niger Bridge was constructed between Sept 2018 and May 2023 at a cost of ₦336bn by Nigerian company Julius Berger Plc, and commissioned 23 May 2023 by then President Muhammadu Buhari.

Did I read this correctly?

Interesting read 📖

First picture reminds me of the book Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe

So what are you insinuating that nothing good comes out of military regime?

NaijaphiliaBlog:


No, it wasn't.

The first military coup in Nigeria happened on 15 January 1966, the month following the commissioning of the bridge.

In fact, the commissioning of the 1st Niger Bridge was the last public function of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, before he was killed in the coup.

So the only way one could link Onitsha to and from Asaba is through the waterways before the Niger bridge was built.

Why is Nigerian roads always filled up with ugly looking cars?