The Federal Government has unveiled plans to deploy robotic machines to inspect the underwater sections of bridges across Nigeria as part of a broader effort to ensure their structural integrity while reducing maintenance costs.
Senator Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works, made this announcement on Sunday during a stakeholders’ meeting concerning Section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project. He explained that the robotic machines would enable comprehensive underwater inspections, ensuring better visibility of the condition of bridges nationwide.
Umahi pointed out that the traditional method of hiring divers to carry out these inspections was becoming increasingly unsustainable due to its high costs. He added that working with Mr Danny Abboud, the Managing Director of HITECH Construction Company, the government would source and acquire the robotic machines for this purpose.
“The current practice of using divers for underwater inspections is costly, and we aim to replace it with robotic machines that will dive and provide detailed views of the submerged parts of our bridges,” Umahi said.
In addition, Umahi declared a “bridge emergency” in the country, emphasising the need for urgent assessments of critical infrastructure, many of which have been standing for over five decades without proper structural re-evaluation.
“We need to know the condition of these bridges, some of which are more than 53 years old. This is not just a Lagos issue; it’s a nationwide concern,” the Minister stated.
As part of the administration’s ongoing focus on infrastructure development, Umahi also announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to begin commissioning several completed infrastructure projects starting on 1st May 2025. Further projects are expected to be unveiled by the end of the year, demonstrating the government’s commitment to future-proofing the nation’s infrastructure.
Umahi further addressed safety concerns regarding bridge infrastructure, announcing that the Federal Executive Council had placed a ban on dredging activities within a 10-kilometre radius of any bridge in Nigeria. This decision was prompted by hazardous dredging near the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, which had led to warnings from construction companies about potential risks of collapse.
“We discovered dangerous dredging activities near the Third Mainland Bridge, and experts have warned that continued dredging could lead to the bridge’s collapse,” the Minister explained. He clarified that the bridge piles in Lagos are held together by sand-based friction systems, which can become destabilised if the sand is removed by dredging.
To mitigate these risks, Umahi called for stronger cooperation with the Nigerian Navy to monitor and curb illegal sand-filling and dredging activities around vital infrastructure.