FG Orders Iddo Bridge Traders to Vacate Within 7 Days Over Safety Risks, Bridge Damage
Lagos, Nigeria – May 1, 2025 – The Federal Government has issued a 7-day ultimatum to tradershttp://Lagos, Nigeria – May 1, 2025 – The Federal Government has issued a 7-day ultimatum to traders operating beneath the Iddo Bridge in Lagos, citing serious safety hazards and structural damage linked to their activities.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave the directive on Wednesday during an inspection visit, warning that no relocation arrangements would be made for the affected vendors. According to Umahi, illegal trading, including the storage and sale of inflammable materials, has led to fire outbreaks and further deterioration of the bridge’s structure.
“They are destroying the bridge, and you are talking about moving them? If you move them, other people will go and burn another bridge so that they will be moved,” Umahi said.
He emphasized that similar evacuation orders will be extended to other Lagos bridges where informal trading and structural threats are observed.
The rehabilitation project for Iddo Bridge, awarded to Julius Berger in 2024 at a cost of N5 billion, has faced setbacks due to damages from commercial activities and oversized trucks striking the bridge deck. The bridge’s headroom of 3.0 meters, far below the standard 5.6 meters, has been repeatedly breached by heavy-duty vehicles, compounding the structural concerns.
Despite these issues, Umahi assured that the core structural elements of the bridge remain intact.
“It’s only the cover to the structural elements that are affected. The structural elements’ integrity are quite there and are very high,” he stated.
The federal government’s action is part of a broader plan to preserve national infrastructure and prevent urban disasters.
