Fourth Mainland Bridge Project Stalled Three Years After Bidder Selection
A concerning silence has enveloped the ambitious Fourth Mainland Bridge project in Lagos State, with construction yet to commence three full years after the state government announced a preferred bidder. The Chinese civil engineering consortium, CCECC-CRCCIG Consortium, was designated as the preferred bidder in December 2022, but the project site remains untouched despite multiple promised start dates.
From Promises to Silence
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has notably shifted from making specific commitments about the bridge's commencement to complete silence on the matter. During the recent 2026 Lagos annual thanksgiving service, the governor outlined numerous infrastructure projects receiving state attention and budgetary provisions for the year, but conspicuously omitted any mention of the Fourth Mainland Bridge. This silence follows a pattern of broken promises, including commitments that work would begin in early 2023, then March-April 2024, none of which materialized.
The governor's last public explanation came during a television interview where he cited financing challenges as a primary obstacle. "Everybody that has raised fund to help us develop the Fourth Mainland Bridge project, which is about a $2 billion project, is asking for a sovereign guarantee," Sanwo-Olu explained. "They are asking you to get a commitment from the central government. We are not the central government, so, we have not been able to push that because that would mean going to the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly."
Financial Commitments and Project History
The project has seen significant financial arrangements despite the construction delay. On November 1, 2023, Lagos State government secured a loan commitment of $1.35 billion from African Export-Import Bank and Access Bank for three major infrastructure projects, including the Fourth Mainland Bridge. Originally budgeted at $2.2 billion and later revised to approximately $2.5 billion within a public-private partnership framework, the bridge represents one of Africa's most ambitious infrastructure undertakings.
Project specifications include:
- A 38-kilometer span connecting Ajah with Ikorodu
- A 4.5-kilometer lagoon crossing
- Three toll plazas and nine interchanges
- Designation as Africa's second longest bridge upon completion
First proposed in 2006 with construction initially slated for 2017 and completion by 2019, the bridge has remained largely on paper despite its transformative potential for Lagos transportation networks.
Presidential Endorsement and Current Status
President Bola Tinubu recently highlighted the bridge's importance while congratulating Governor Sanwo-Olu on his 60th birthday. In a statement delivered by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu urged the governor to "prioritise impactful projects for Lagosians, notably the long-awaited Fourth Mainland Bridge." The president described Sanwo-Olu as a dedicated public servant committed to transforming Lagos through landmark achievements like the Blue and Red Rail lines.
Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu's 2026 project priorities, as outlined during the thanksgiving service, focus on numerous other initiatives including:
- Healthcare facilities like Ojo General Hospital and Massey Children's Hospital
- Road infrastructure projects across Ikorodu, Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki, and Alimosho
- The Green Line metro rail connecting Marina to Lekki Free Trade Zone
- Omi Eko water transportation system improvements
With fifteen months having passed since the last announced commencement date and no visible progress at the proposed site, Lagos residents continue waiting for what was promised to be a game-changing infrastructure project for Africa's largest city.
