President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned road users to drive safely as he ordered the opening of the Second Niger Bridge for use by midnight on Thursday.

The president counselled road users using the bridge to drive safely and responsibly in order not to defeat the purpose of the project.

He spoke in Wednesday while commissioning the bridge for use for one month during the yuletide.

Speaking through the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the president said the purpose of doing the bridge was to save lives and alleviate poverty occasioned by waste of man-hours resulting from gridlock on the first bridge.

"Cautioning against reckless driving, he said it would be counterproductive if the users attract unnecessary mishaps upon themselves.

He said, “The maximum speed limit on Nigerian roads is 100km per hour. Don’t drive 101km per hour. The president will be happy to see users drive safely and responsibly while using this road, especially during this Christmas and new year seasons. The president wishes you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.”

He said that the road would be officially open by 12.01 am on Thursday, December 15 and January 15, 2023.

"The president approved that since the bridge is finished that we should create an access road so that during Christmas you can begin to experience what it would feel like plying the bridge.

“It would be open for traffic going from the west to the east from the 15th Dec, 2022-15th January 2023.

“Let me be clear again; we haven’t finished construction work on the bridge but we would open it for people to use to relieve the pressure from the one bridge. On the 15th January, we would reverse that movement for those coming from the east to the west.

Fashola said part of the money used in constructing the bridge was looted funds recovered mostly from the United States of America.

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