The Federal Government has opened a solar-powered CCTV monitoring centre for the Second Niger Bridge corridor, saying the system will strengthen security and speed up responses to road incidents.
Minister of Works David Umahi, who commissioned the facility in Asaba, described the centre as part of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to modernise road infrastructure and security along major highways.
Umahi said the monitoring hub is “a microcosm of the macrocosm of the security architecture that Mr President is bringing to all our major roads.”
The centre covers the bridge and its bypass roads with high-definition cameras and a control room that links police and emergency teams.
Umahi said the goal is to cut down on checkpoints and enable a five-minute rapid response to incidents from the monitoring centre.
At the event, Umahi also inspected the ongoing work on the 17.5-kilometre, two-lane bypass (Section 2A) around Asaba, a ₦179 billion project he said was redesigned using reinforced concrete pavement and fitted with solar streetlights and CCTV infrastructure.
He told reporters the first half of the bypass is scheduled for commissioning by 28 April.
Authorities used the ceremony to announce a ban on sand mining within a 10-kilometre radius of the Niger to protect both the first and second bridges.
The Delta State police command welcomed the CCTV centre, calling it a major boost to policing along the corridor.
Officials said tolling on the Second Niger Bridge will not begin until all access and bypass roads are completed.
The Federal Government said the CCTV system will also help deter vandalism and improve traffic management for the busy link between Anambra and Delta states.
