Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is already counting down to when he would leave office and handover to a new governor. This was evident in his projects commissioning speech during the week, when he said that he has 416 days to go at the event, though now 413 days left.

He pledged that there would be doubling of efforts around infrastructure as he counts down. But in the doubling of works, the concerns some stakeholders may raise is, will the Fourth Mainland Bridge finally see the light of the day with the preferred bidder moving to site.

This is what Sanwo-Olu said at the commissioning ceremony. “As we commission these projects, we are also mindful that there is still more to be done. In the 400-plus days that lie ahead of our administration, we will double down on our investments in infrastructure, the strengthening of our institutions, and intentional improvements in the quality of life for all Lagosians.

“For us, finishing only makes sense if it is done well. Winding down is not an excuse to slow down or succumb to lower standards. On the contrary, it is meant to be an opportunity to ramp up momentum, and to rev the engine energetically towards the finish line.”

Governments from President Bola Tinubu administration to Babatunde Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and now to Sanwo-Olu has always make the Fourth Mainland Bridge a talking point of their administration. But while the administration of Ambode and Sanwo-Olu seem to have posture that the journey to be promise land is here with the announcement of preferred bidder, that never however translated into contractor to moving to site.

Surprisingly, Sanwo-Olu and his team have moved from promises of when the project will start to being silent. For instance, during the new year thanksgiving service held at the beginning of the year, Sanwo-Olu rolled out a number of projects to be executed but he never mentioned the Fourth Mainland Bridge. And since then the government has been quite.
Sanwo-Olu listed a number of projects that would get the state government attention including provisions for them in the 2026 budget, he never mentioned the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

Hear him: “Under my leadership, we will continue consolidating the gains of the past six and a half years, guided by our THEMES+ vision. We will complete and commission many transformational projects across multiple sectors and in different parts of the State.

“The year 2026 is particularly significant for me, as it marks my last full year as Governor of Lagos State. For this reason, I am deeply driven and compelled to make this year count – deliberately and decisively. It must be a year of extraordinary meaning, significance, and benefit for all of us. Among the many projects we will be commissioning and putting to use this year, there are some that are especially close to my heart.

“These include the Ojo General Hospital; the Odo Iya-Alaro Link Bridge; the new Massey Children’s Hospital; the Central Food Security Systems and Logistics Hub in Epe; the new Psychiatric Hospital in Ketu Ereyun, Epe; and the new Multi-Storey Office Complex in Alausa.

“In the area of road infrastructure, we will complete and commission the following projects in 2026: In Ikorodu: the Igbogbo–Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Igbe Road; Agric Isawo–Konu–Arepo Road, Phase One; the Gberigbe Road, from Ewu Elepe through Gbodu Junction to Gberigbe Town; and the Adamo–Akanun–Agunfoye–Lugbusi Road.

“In Ikeja: the Opebi–Mende Link Bridge and its approach roads. In Eti-Osa: the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway, Phase 2A, from Eleko Junction through Awoyaya to Greensprings, and from Majek to Abraham Adesanya. In Ibeju-Lekki: the Magbon–Alade Township Roads. And in Alimosho: the Ijegun–Ijagemo Road and the Akesan–Igando Road.

“As I have said, this is not an exhaustive list. There are many other construction and rehabilitation projects that Lagosians will benefit from in 2026—educational and medical facilities, youth and sports centres, drainage and flood control systems, bus and ferry terminals, housing projects, water schemes, waste management plants, court buildings, and much more.

“Our Green Line metro rail project, that will connect Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ), will see progress this year, transforming life and commerce along the eastern corridor of the state. The Omi Eko project, which we flagged off last year, with support from development partners, is another major transport infrastructure program that we will advance in 2026. It will revolutionize our water transportation system and complement our road and rail upgrade and expansion efforts. All of these projects and ambitions will be supported and enabled by our 2026 budget, The Budget of Shared Prosperity,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

Even the two-day projects commissioning held during the week, the Fourth Mainland Bridge was not a talking point unlike before where such opportunity is usually used to provide a news about the bridge.

Yet, 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 on 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.

But 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 births 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, in late 2024, 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.”

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.
But after those two landmarks about the project, it has gone from promises of when the project will start to the state government keeping quiet about the project.