LAGOS, NIGERIA. The Federal Government of Nigeria suspended its planned closure of the Eko Bridge in Lagos State on May 19, 2026.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, announced the suspension following an inspection of the bridge and a reassessment of its structural safety.
The initial directive to close the structure was issued two weeks prior, but Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, requested a review of the decision to prevent public hardship. Umahi said, “He has asked me to come back here and take a second look at that decision so that we don’t induce much hardship on Nigerians.”
A technical team re-evaluated the bridge on May 18, 2026, determining that keeping the bridge open remained safe for now while they monitor a structural crack. Umahi said, “We have done our technical evaluation in line with the President’s directive. Putting safety over and above every decision, we have seen that, for now, we are safe, but we won’t get to a situation where any Nigerian on this bridge will not be safe. We have agreed on three procedures.”
The government established a plan for remedial construction on the bridge over a period of four months, executed by the engineering firm Buildwell. Umahi said, “We have agreed on remedial work that could be carried out within four months by Buildwell, and that is by doing additional piling and a pie cap and joining it to the cracked one to bypass the section that is cracked.”
