Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge: Hamzat, Gbadamosi Clash Over N29bn Cost, Toll Collection

Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, has defended the construction of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge following allegations of public funds mismanagement by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deputy governorship candidate, Babatunde Gbadamosi.

The two politicians exchanged words over the cost, financing and toll collection arrangements for the 1.68-kilometre bridge, which was constructed during the administration of former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, when Hamzat served as Commissioner for Works.

Hamzat, in a statement on Monday, described the bridge as a landmark infrastructure project that had improved connectivity and eased traffic for commuters travelling within Lagos.

He said the decision to construct the bridge was driven by the need to reduce time spent in traffic, ease the burden on motorists and improve access to the Lekki Peninsula.

According to him, the project was delivered in collaboration with Fashola and represented an important milestone in Lagos State’s infrastructure development.

The deputy governor said the bridge had become an iconic feature of the Lagos skyline, arguing that its impact on commuters could not be dismissed by political criticism or attempts to rewrite history.

“Critics may try to rewrite history, make unfair comparisons or turn progress into a political argument but they cannot erase the difference this bridge has made in the lives of the millions of people who use it,” he said.

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Hamzat maintained that his commitment to public service remained focused on transparency, infrastructure development and improving the living conditions of Lagos residents.

He also challenged critics of the project to demonstrate their own contributions to infrastructure development.

“When anyone attempts to undermine projects that have made life better for Lagosians, one simple question is worth asking: What have they built?” he added.

However, Gbadamosi, in a statement published on October 31, questioned the cost of the 1.68-kilometre Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, alleging that the project raised concerns about the management of public funds under the Fashola administration.

He recalled that Fashola announced in 2013 that the bridge had been fully funded by Lagos taxpayers at a cost of N29 billion, which Gbadamosi estimated at approximately $195 million.

To support his criticism, the ADC chieftain compared the Lagos project with China’s 42-kilometre Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, which he said cost approximately $2.3 billion.

He argued that the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge was considerably more expensive on a per-kilometre basis, putting its cost at approximately $143 million per kilometre, compared with $55 million for the Chinese bridge.

Gbadamosi also questioned the arrangement that allowed a private company to collect tolls on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, alleging that the company did not finance its construction.

The toll collection arrangement has been a subject of public debate, with the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) officially identified as the operator of the bridge’s toll plaza since June 2016.

Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge: Hamzat, Gbadamosi Clash Over N29bn Cost, Toll Collection