2nd Niger Bridge: Anambra Laments Compensation Costs For 5,700 Buildings Marked For Demolition

The Anambra State Government has lamented the huge compensation costs for more than 5,700 buildings marked for demolition to make way for a flyover and roundabout linking the six-lane road to the Second Niger Bridge through the Nkwelle-Ezunaka axis of the federal highway.

The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Chief Okey Ezeobi, expressed concern at the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), held at the secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, at the weekend.

Ezeobi said the buildings had been documented for demolition to provide the right of way for the road project, adding that the compensation expenses could have been avoided or reduced if proper environmental and structural planning had anticipated the infrastructure development.

“Over 5,700 buildings have been marked and documented for demolition to pave the way for the flyover and six-lane road roundabout at Nkwelle-Ezunaka on the federal highway linking to the Second Niger Bridge.

“If proper structural environmental planning had been done long ago to anticipate this development, the Anambra government would not have been incurring the heavy losses involved in paying compensation for those buildings,” he said.

Speaking on the conference theme; ‘Vision to Legacy: Planning, Innovation, Inclusive Development for Livable City,’ the commissioner urged architects and other professionals involved in environmental planning to embrace digital innovation.

He said digital transformation had become essential for professionals seeking to remain relevant, calling on architects to incorporate technology into environmental and urban planning.

Ezeobi also defended the Soludo administration’s decision to embark on a second state-owned airport project, saying it was intended to secure a safe environment for future generations despite criticism from some quarters.

He added that the government had begun making plans to acquire land for a third airport project.

The commissioner warned that erosion was threatening the state’s landmass, estimating that it had already claimed about 30 per cent of Anambra’s land.

“Unfortunately, erosion has taken about 30 per cent of our land in Anambra State. So, if we, as architects, do not plan the environment, maybe by 2060 we will have no land for our people to live in,” he said.

He urged architects to develop inclusive environmental plans, explore vertical construction as available land becomes increasingly constrained, address carbon emissions in building designs and anticipate how buildings would need to function over the next 20 years.

Earlier, the President of the NIA, Sani Saulawa, blamed the neglect of professional architects in environmental planning by governments and other stakeholders for disasters and unsafe conditions in the country.

Saulawa pledged that the institute would sustain its public awareness campaigns on the need to engage architects in environmental planning and development schemes.

In his welcome address, the state chairman of the NIA, Ikenna Onuorah, reaffirmed members’ commitment to promoting safe and liveable environments.

He urged governments to prioritise the enactment and enforcement of laws that would establish effective environmental planning frameworks, support coordinated and inclusive investment, and promote safer communities.