Despite being first proposed in 2006, and slated for construction in 2017 and a completion date of 2019, the Fourth Mainland Bridge remains a project in the paper. It is, however, instructive to note that the bridge construction was part of President Bola Tinubu’s message to the Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while congratulating him on his 60th birthday.

In the statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described Sanwo-Olu as a dedicated public servant who has stayed true to the vision of transforming Lagos.

“Your execution of this vision is exemplified by landmark achievements, including completing the Blue and Red Rail lines and the ongoing preparations for the Purple Line, which will serve the vital Lekki corridor. I urge you to sustain this trajectory by prioritising impactful projects for Lagosians, notably the long-awaited Fourth Mainland Bridge and the Freedom Way to Victoria Garden City (VGC) Road,” Tinubu said.

However, 20 years after the idea of the Fourth Mainland Bridge was birthed, the bridge has failed to take off with construction works. This is not notwithstanding that fact that in December 2022, the Chinese CCECC‑CRCCIG Consortium was announced as preferred bidder, with repeated commitments by Sanwo‑Olu that construction will commence in early 2023 and later by March-April 2024. But 15 months after the last announced work commencement date, the flag off has not been done.

The Fourth Mainland Bridge is an ambitious 38‑km project envisioned as Lagos State’s next transformative infrastructure. It is designed to connect Ajah with Ikorodu via a state‑of‑the‑art tolled corridor featuring three toll plazas, nine interchanges, and a 4.5 km lagoon crossing, expected to emerge as the second longest bridge in Africa.

Originally budgeted at $2.2 billion and later revised to around $2.5 billion including entering into a public-private partnership framework, the project has struggled to take off.

Recall that before the preferred bidder was announced in August 2020, the state government shortlisted six companies for the design, development, construction, operation and maintenance of the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

The six companies were said to have met the technical and financial capacity requirements for the project. This followed government issuance of a Request for Qualification (RFQ) in February of 2020.

Prior to the process that birth the latest preferred bidder, the state government before 2000, entered and terminated an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it entered into with a private partner to build the bridge.

The MoU was signed between the state government and a consortium of investors, among which were; the Africa Finance Corporation, AFC, Visible Assets Limited and Access Bank Plc.

The terminated MoU was to allow the investors a concession period of 40 years upon the completion of the construction of the bridge.

Providing insight into the termination, the then Commissioner for Waterfront and Infrastructure Development, with oversight for Ministry of Works, Adebowale Akinsanya, said the termination owe much to the long delay on the part of the private partners in starting construction work.

Meanwhile, speaking on the project, late last year, the Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, said the contractors are battling with the galloping inflation as a result of the unstable exchange rate.
“The initial budget has tripled making it difficult for the execution of the project. However, the project is on course. We are back to negotiation table with contractors to find a way of funding the capital intensive project.

“Hopefully, we will arrive at workable solution for the eventual execution of the project very soon. We will get there eventually. The work is tough, but with collective responsibility and a focus on the right priorities, Lagos can continue to lead as a model for progress in Nigeria.”

Also, earlier this year, Sanwo-Olu, in a television interview, said: “Everybody that has raised fund to help us develop the Fourth Mainland Bridge project, which is about a $2 billion project, is asking for a sovereign guarantee. They are asking you to get a commitment from the central government. We are not the central government, so, we have not been able to push that because that would mean going to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly. So, it is a difficult line for us to go through.”