Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima will today commission the newly constructed Kilema Bridge in Lafia, one of three bridges built by the Nasarawa State Government with the N3 billion released by the Federal Government to tackle flood disasters in the state.
Governor Abdullahi Sule disclosed this while receiving the winner of the Nasarawa North senatorial district byeelection, Barrister Danladi Halilu Envulanza at the Government House on Sunday.
The commissioning forms part of activities marking the 70th birthday celebration of the Emir of Lafia, HRH Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, an event drawing dignitaries from within and outside the state to Lafia.
Governor Sule disclosed that the Kilema Bridge, along with two others at Kofan Kaura and Keana, was constructed using the flood intervention fund as part of efforts to provide a permanent engineering solution to the perennial flooding that has for years cut off communities and disrupted movement in the affected areas.
The Governor said the three locations were identified as flood-prone spots requiring urgent and lasting intervention, and that government deliberately invested the funds in critical infrastructure rather than temporary relief measures, to ensure that the impact of the intervention would outlive the immediate disaster it was meant to address.
Recall that the N3 billion was released to Nasarawa State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2024, as part of a broader Federal Government intervention to support states across the country in mitigating the effects of flooding, a commitment the President had earlier made to states during a National Executive Council meeting.
Governor Sule had at the time announced receipt of the fund during a State Executive Council meeting at the Government House in Lafia, and assured residents that the money would strictly be used for the purpose it was meant for.
The Governor had explained that as soon as he was informed by the state Accountant General about the receipt of the funds, he summoned officials of the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs to discuss how best to utilise the money, and directed the creation of a dedicated account for the N3 billion to ensure that every kobo spent could be tracked and accounted for.
With the commissioning of the Kilema Bridge, the state government says it has demonstrated, in clear and physical terms, how the flood fund was deployed, even as the two other bridges at Kofan Kaura and Keana stand as further evidence of the judicious utilisation of the intervention.
Governor Sule commended President Tinubu for fulfilling his promise to support states affected by flooding, and described the commissioning as a fitting tribute to the Emir of Lafia on his 70th birthday, noting that the bridge would serve the Lafia Emirate and surrounding communities for generations to come.
The Vice President’s visit to Lafia for the Emir’s milestone birthday is expected to draw traditional rulers, political leaders and dignitaries from across the country, with the Kilema Bridge commissioning standing out as one of the key highlights of the day’s activities.
