The federal government says it has inaugurated a N40 billion closed-circuit television (CCTV) control centre for the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
In 2025, Minister of Works David Umahi announced the installation of surveillance cameras on the bridge, noting that the move was aimed at preventing suicide attempts.
At the time, Umahi said security personnel would monitor footage from the cameras and enforce speed regulations.
Speaking at the commissioning on Sunday, Umahi said the current administration inherited what he described as a deteriorated infrastructure.
“When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge, both on the pavement, surface, infrastructure above the water and even infrastructure below the water,” he said.
“The president, therefore, directed total re-evaluation and rehabilitation of the surfaces of the Third Mainland Bridge and changing the expansion joints. Lagosians were very happy with the president for that beautiful work, and that work completed and commissioned is still succeeding because of the quality.”
Umahi commended China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the project contractor, for delivering what he called quality infrastructure.
He added that the ministry would hand over a surveillance boat and two Hilux vans included in the project to the police for monitoring.
“If they need to incorporate other security agencies, they can do that, but the idea of this project is that we have a lay-by on the bridge, so we view everything going on on this bridge,” he said.
The minister also expressed concern over overspeeding on the bridge and urged motorists to comply with safety regulations.
Earlier, Lagos federal controller of works, Olufemi Dare, described the surveillance centre as a pioneering project.
“I doubt if there is any bridge in Nigeria that has what we have deployed here today, where you have CCTV to monitor both the underwater and even the bridge itself,” Dare said.
“We have a boat that has been bought for surveillance of the bridge. There are two Hilux vans, too.
“We have 240 solar panels in this environment, and that is not enough. The whole place is fully air-conditioned. We have 10 inverters inside the building.
“We have the powering units. We have a transformer, a 300 KVA transformer. We have a standby generating plant and monitoring screens.”
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for approving the project and commended Umahi for ensuring due process.
Dare added that “We have about 1,268 solar street lights that are part of this contract,” explaining that the entire project was awarded at N40.17 billion, with N36 billion already paid to the contractor.
He noted that Sunday’s inauguration was only the beginning.
“This is the first level of commissioning. We are still going to come back here to do even for the extension of the bridge, which is about to be completed,” he said.
“We pray that very sooner than later, we will come back to do a full-blown commissioning.”