By Patrick Obia
The Federal Government of Nigeria has commissioned the $44 million, 1.5km Nigeria-Cameroon border bridge in Cross State, Southern region of the country.
The bridge was constructed with finance by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of the trans-border road running from Enugu to Bamenda.
The 1.5km joint border road which links Mfum in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria and Ekok in Cameroon was approved by Federal Executive Council in February 2017. Work commenced in April 2017, completed in May 2021, and the Defects Liability period ended in Oct. 2022.
Commissioning the bridge, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the construction of the road is to further strengthen the cordial relationship between the two countries.
Fashola noted that it is among many roads linking Nigeria, Cameroon, and other countries: “The border bridge is one of the projects under the Nigeria-Cameroon Mix Commission and aimed at repairing the strained relationship between both countries following the Bakassi dispute.
“This bridge is part of Route 8. It’s not just connecting Nigeria and Cameroon but we are trying to connect Lagos to Mombasa in Kenya, which is the significance of the bridge,” he added.
President Mohammadu Buhari was represented by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada while the President of Cameroon, Paul Biya was represented by the country’s Minister of Public Works – Emmanuel Nganou.