SPECIAL REPORT: Stranded by bridge collapse, How Kwara communities are filling the gaps left by government

By Aliyu Adam

It was around 1 pm on a Friday June 2026. The scorching sun beat relentlessly on the residents of ASA local government area as they navigate through the eroded passage spotted around the crumbled moro bridge in Ilorin the capital of Kwara state, Nigeria. With luggage balanced on their heads, women held their children tightly to cross on what appeared to be alternatives.

Abubakar Abdulrahmon, a 30- years old farmer, narrated that the bridge’s collapse is not overnight. It gradually developed cracks before succumbing to years of deterioration. Despite its significance to serve several communities particularly the agricultural hubs of the state, the bridge received no attention from the government.

He learned that the local transporters formerly contributed to carry out temporary repairs. But, after it collapsed completely the task became heavier than what they can finance.

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During the former President Muhammad Bukhari administration, the government once began to construct a concrete bridge to replace the iron one. Upon leaving office, the project however became abandoned.

As the route to his farm becomes impassable. He resorted to navigate on several lengthy routes often, cost him nothing less than #8000 daily. This added insult to injury, knowing that he cannot afford the travelling expenses.

“A journey of 30 minutes that l formerly trek has soared to 2 hours traveling on vehicle. Most of the time I borrowed money to board vehicles,” he told The Lagos Voice. 

Abdulrahmon’s experience is not unique. His plight mirrors the challenge facing thousands of people whose crossing the bridge has become their daily routine. Another survivor is Olarewaju Saheedat, a roadside bread vendor who received bread on consignment, helped to navigate the eroded passage.

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She soaked to her skin with water running down from her clothes after crossing the water side. She twisted her clothes to half-dry before boarding a tricycle (Keke napepp) to the roadside where she sold bread.

Beyond her profit, the bread vendor lady spent #2000 daily crossing the water side. She realized her transition expense was draining substantial amounts from the bread she collected on consignment. She felt like quitting the business but unsure of what to do next.

Whenever it rained, the wave increased to drag her down. As she tried to control her movement the unseen objects submerged injured her feet. This made crossing difficult for her.

“The government should just help us, we can’t continue like this. This is driving us into debt, a lot of our daily earnings are going on transport alone. We need to survive,” she pleaded.

The struggle of the residents represent a systematic failure of many societies in Nigeria. The broken conditioning bridge has induced a heavy financial burden on transport workers, exposing them to insecurity, limited operation and profitability while prolonging their traveling hours that take a toll on vehicle maintenance and longevity.

A Business Day report revealed that the social and economic life of Kwara residents remains under threat since the collapse of the abandoned Oko-Olowo/Moro bridge project. According to the June 2026 report, the bridge serves a critical access to Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas, regarded as major agricultural hubs in the state.

During the administration of former President Muhammad Bukhari, the bridge was designed as a strategic link connecting Kwara North to other parts of the state through neighboring communities in Oyo State. While awaiting the completion of a replacement bridge that remained far from completion the residents are forced to depend on temporary alternatives.

Several vehicles were stranded in the river over engine failure and other unforeseen circumstances in an attempt to cross the river. Means that transport workers experience seasonal unemployment during the rainy season when makeshift river crossings become impassable.

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However, The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), valued Nigeria annual loss due to bad roads at ₦80 billion, while additional vehicle operating cost resulting from bad roads is valued at ₦53.8 billion, bringing the total loss per annum to ₦133.8 billion.

The condition of the road network, infrastructure, assets and facilities in Nigeria are extremely dire and continue to have a negative impact on socio-economic activities in the country. Any investment in the reconstruction and proper maintenance of Nigerian roads will enormously ease road transportation of goods and services and improve the standard of living of the citizens.

Transport operator raises concerns

Ibrahim Salisu, a transport operator whose household depended heavily on his daily income for survival, resorted to drive through the eroded passage formed around the crumbled bridge. As his bus once sank, causing several damages to the engine. He was forced to navigate through several lengthy roads, often consuming a significant portion of his earnings.

For Salisu, a journey of 25 kilometres that formerly cost him 2 liters of petrol has surged to 10 liters, multiplying his petrol expenses from a manageable N3000 to a staggering N15000 per trip. This condition plugged his household into a financial strain. His household who ate two times daily resorted to zero-one-zero rotation.

He noticed the road was slippery, and perhaps could cause an accident. He learned that his driver colleague was kidnapped while traveling along the lengthy road. Adding that the kidnappers had already demanded 4 million before he escaped. This condition exposed drivers to security issues.

Salisu learned that the government once brought constructive equipment to the site. Hoping it was time for the road to receive attention perhaps it was a federal road. But, beyond his imagination, the equipment disappeared in a day he could not guess.

“Even though it is a ‘barao hanyan’– (an Hausa language means a partial route), the government should have helped to construct a temporary one at least, we can be using for sometime,” he told The Lagos Voice.

Expert weighs in

In an interview with The Lagos Voice, Emmanuel Kilaso, a founder, Securecyber Environmental and Climate Change Initiative, identified a permanent reinforced concrete bridge as a long-term engineering solution. According to him, this will withstand floods and support the agricultural hub that acts as the food basket linking Kwara and Oyo state.

Considering the current climate conditions, he advised the government to build a high and drainage capacity that can accommodate heavy floods. He also recommended planting deep-rooted trees along the riverbanks to hold the soil and reduce flooding crashes against the bridge.

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Kilaso further called on the government to immediately respond by constructing a standard temporary Bailey bridge. This is to curb the challenges facing the road users and reduce socio-economics disorders like food shortages, inflation, transition cost among others.

He noted that the aging Moro bridge should have been rehabilitated before it completely collapsed. And underlines the need to regulate the weight of vehicles navigating through it.

Speaking on the danger of the situation, Kilaso pointed to wading through erosion passages exposing residents to drowning and fatal accidents. Adding that motorists passing the erosion channel could cause damage to their vehicles and expose them to security issue.

“To control traffic and movement of people the government has to station emergency personnel like the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and local emergency management at the site.”

He commended the community’s action, but warned that a makeshift wooden bridge is highly unsafe. Pointing to possible heavy downpours to wash away the structure.

He advised the community to stop vehicles from operating on it. Adding that the makeshift wooden bridge should be mainly for pedestrians temporarily and avoid it when raining started.

Community-led solutions are emerging

In Moro, ASA local government area, the communities agreed to form a committee who in turn facilitate a makeshift wooden bridge that enables motorcyclist and pedestrian movement.

During the project, a correctional center in Mandala once donated N15,000, despite declining their contribution, the donor insisted on deliberately participating in the project, said the Chairman of the Committee, Fatai Mandala.

“Apart from hiring two loggers who were paid N50,000 each for 5 consecutive days they have worked. We spent almost 1 million naira to purchase wood alone and rewarded those who joined in gathering the logs for use.”

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According to Fatai, the local economy has gradually been restored since motorcyclists and pedestrians began using the makeshift bridge. Through the project, harassment against women has become a past.

Issa Adamu, one of the committee members, learned that the community’s vigilantes have also volunteered to watch over the makeshift bridge. This is to prevent unauthorized charging for crossing the bridge.

“Children can now pass through the makeshift without tension of being submerged,” said Adamu.

Speaking with this reporter, Fatai narrated the challenge behind the deteriorated bridge preceding the makeshift. A lot of farm products have become rotten due to the state of impassability compounded with harassment against women in the course of helping them to cross.

“Most of our women have been complaining about being groped every day,” he added.

Adamu noted that before the makeshift, a corpse was found in the water, prompting the locality to advance the project.

The setback facing the initiative 

Despite the makeshift wooden bridge, gaps persist. Saheedat spent huge on transportation. Still, she walked halfway because she was never conveyed to the roadside where she sold bread.

After returning from a prolonged traveling hour, Salisu realized he was working for petrol stations rather than his household. A lot of his earnings were swallowed by the petrol pumps.

“Apart from the risks we made on driving along slippery roads which could cause accidents. We spent much on damage the roads have caused to our engine. The work we are doing these days is not profitable. We are just trying to survive,” he lamented.

Abdulrahmon noticed that the makeshift wooden bridge is not high enough, perhaps it might end submerging if it flooded heavily. He believed the rain had not started dropping heavily.

Adamu warns that an unknown group claiming to have facilitated the makeshift tends to collect money from the passer-by and motorcyclists without being authorized.

Kwara government reaction 

Speaking with The Lagos Voice, Kwara State authorities through the Chairman of ASA local government area, Honorable Shehu Yahaya Amasa claimed that the government officials have visited the site for on-site assessment.

He told The Lagos Voice, “Through the office of the state Governor, the ministry of work has directed to commence the construction of a temporary bridge to enable movement of goods and people across the state.”

While addressing the collapse bridge to have contributed immensely to the economic development of the state. He urged the residents to stay calm and safe as the government tried to curb the issue.

“The bridge connects several localities, particularly the food basket of the state including Oyo state,” he concluded.