₦airaland Forum

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The Niger Bridge more popularly referred to as the Onitsha Bridge is of Nigeria’s most economically crucial bridges. It was constructed between 1964 and 1965, and it was commissioned in December 1965.

The Bridge links the South-Western and the South-Southern region of the country to the South-East. The Bridge has its two ends both in Asaba, Delta State and Onitsha, Anambra state.

Apart from being host to one of the largest marketplaces in all of West Africa, Onitsha also happens to be the gateway to the densely populated eastern region.

So, prior to the construction of the famous Onitsha Bridge in 1966, how were people traveling to the East?

Well, in the early 1960s, travels across the river Niger to the eastern part of Nigeria was achieved with the means of river ferries of various sizes.

Below are photographs of showing travelers at the jetties and landing points at Asaba end of the river in 1961.


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Asaba Ferry Landing (March 1961)


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A private enterprise river ferry stopped at the main Asaba passenger-landing dock in 1966. Photo Credit: Laurens Dawes


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The Asaba riverbank and ferry in 1960.

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A view taken just off the Niger River banks looking backward along the eastern front of 1960s Asaba, photographed from aboard a Ferry headed southeastward toward Onitsha.


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Asaba-Onitsha- Ferry Crossing (1959)

Source:

https://autojosh.com/see-how-people-traveled-to-onitsha-before-the-construction-of-the-niger-bridge/

When we still have a functioning country, it took roughly a year to construct this massive bridge. But it will take YEARS to construct something similar in this generation.


Which way Nigeria?

and one idiot will come out of nowhere and say pdp did not work. thunder fire them.
but this thread is suppose to be posted by explorers, but i'm surprise it's from machines talk man (autojosh)

Nice

We can do better than this

uguta lake comes to mind

Na wao

Good. But one cannot tell if these rustic yesteryear scenarios are preferable to our present day situation. Modernization has not brought the needed peace of mind.

When Country Good na

Thank God i witnessed it

Some tribes are ingrates

Sir Abubarka Tafawa Balewa built the bridge

Sir Abubarka Tafawa Balewa commissioned it

Sir Abubarka Tafawa Balewa was assassinated by them

They bomb/destroyed the bridge during civil war in 1967.

The Enemy of them are them

it can still be like that if nigerians forsake tribalism

That was when we had a country. Now what we have is an institution. Lol

That's what we call development. N some government now refused to add one single value to d country

There was a country

I once swam across the river one of those days. It was adventurous

I am just imagining;
none of the people in those pics will be alive today..
Life sha!

Shedrack777:
and one idiot will come out of nowhere and say pdp did not work. thunder fire them.
but this thread is suppose to be posted by explorers, but i'm surprise it's from machines talk man (autojosh)

You are so right, PDP built it in the 60's!

Good

Shedrack777:
and one idiot will come out of nowhere and say pdp did not work. thunder fire them.
but this thread is suppose to be posted by explorers, but i'm surprise it's from machines talk man (autojosh)

So PDP constructed the bridge abi? Your mumu is legendary.

My father crossed it in 1959, heading to Lagos.....To God be the Glory!

Would have been much better if the bridge was never built.

At least the East would be on their own and the West would be on their own instead of the constant bickering between both sides.

I bet u weren't taught history in school, PDP didn't construct onitsha bridge it was constructed by d military.

That bridge has served it's purpose. A bigger bridge is needed.

Nigeria was moving forward at a fast pace then. It became an illusion that we thought we were the giant of Africa. Fast forward to 2018, Our government has reduced us to the rat of Africa

Bad development for the ferry business owners

That was in those days

I just remembered Chike and the River.

Wawu!