From the Okowa administration’s ₦9.85 billion contract to the Oborevwori government’s revised project cost, the Orere Bridge saga raises questions about delays, contractor performance and public accountability.

By Ehvwubare Kparobo

ORERE, DELTA STATE — Five years after the Delta State Government awarded the contract for the construction of the Orere Bridge, the multi-billion-naira infrastructure project remains uncompleted, raising fresh concerns over contractor performance, cost escalation and the effective delivery of public infrastructure.

Awarded in January 2021 under the administration of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the bridge was designed to improve connectivity for communities in the Orere axis of Ughelli South Local Government Area and neighbouring riverine settlements.

The project was expected to end years of transportation difficulties for residents who relied heavily on waterways and canoes to access markets, healthcare, education and other essential services.

However, despite significant construction progress and the commencement of vehicular crossings, outstanding works remain, leaving questions about why a project initiated five years ago has yet to be fully completed.

The Original Award: A ₦9.85 Billion Promise

The Orere Bridge project was conceived as a major intervention to address the transportation challenges confronting riverine communities.

In November 2020, the Okowa administration announced that the project had been included in the 2021 state budget, with construction expected to commence the following year.

On January 27, 2021, the contract was reportedly awarded to Obakpor Engineering Limited, also identified in some reports as Obakpor J.U. Construction Limited, at an initial cost of ₦9.85 billion.

The scope included a 500-metre reinforced-concrete bridge, access roads, an arterial road, a spur road and drainage infrastructure.

The bridge was expected to provide a permanent road connection for communities that had endured years of transportation isolation.

Yet, what was envisioned as a transformative infrastructure project soon became a prolonged construction undertaking.

Why the Project Stalled

The contractor has attributed some of the delays to environmental and logistical challenges.

Flooding and difficult terrain

The Orere axis is prone to seasonal flooding, which reportedly disrupted construction activities and reduced the number of months available for effective work.

In January 2024, the contractor reportedly explained that flooding caused the loss of approximately four months of construction time annually.

The difficult terrain also required extensive engineering work to ensure that the bridge and its approaches could withstand seasonal flooding.

Transportation of construction materials

The project required substantial quantities of sand and other construction materials to be transported to the site.

In September 2025, the contractor reportedly disclosed that sharp sand was being sourced from Kaiama and Bomadi and transported by barges, adding to the logistical challenges and cost of construction.

Contractor performance and mobilisation

While environmental challenges may have contributed to the delay, the pace of execution has also attracted criticism from the state government.

During an inspection in March 2025, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of some infrastructure projects and warned contractors against accepting projects they lacked the capacity to complete on schedule.

The governor stressed that contractors who failed to meet expectations could face sanctions, including possible contract revocation.

These concerns suggest that the prolonged delay cannot be explained by environmental conditions alone.

Oborevwori Administration: Continuing an Inherited Project

When Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed office in May 2023, the Orere Bridge was among the major infrastructure projects inherited from the previous administration.

His government continued the project, monitored its execution through the Ministry of Works and maintained pressure on the contractor to accelerate construction.

The administration’s interventions included:

• Continuing project funding and payment of certified work.
• Reviewing the contract sum in response to changing economic conditions.
• Conducting periodic inspections to assess progress.
• Pressing the contractor to improve mobilisation and deploy adequate manpower and equipment.
• Threatening sanctions over delays and unsatisfactory performance.

In January 2024, Works Commissioner Reuben Izeze reportedly praised the contractor’s progress and described the project as an opportunity for indigenous firms to demonstrate their engineering capacity.

However, by March 2025, the governor had expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work.

In February 2026, the commissioner reportedly stated that the government was not owing the contractor outstanding certificates on the project and urged the company to resolve its administrative challenges and return fully to site.

The administration’s continued commitment has helped advance the project, but repeated warnings over contractor performance raise questions about the effectiveness of project supervision and enforcement.

The Cost Controversy: From ₦9.85 Billion to Over ₦32 Billion

One of the most troubling aspects of the Orere Bridge project is the reported increase in its contract sum.

The reported revised contract sum is more than three times the original award.

However, public reports have cited different figures at various stages. A February 2026 report placed the project cost at approximately ₦29.2 billion, while a September 2025 report referred to a figure of about ₦50 billion.

These discrepancies make it difficult for the public to establish the project’s definitive current cost.

The state government should therefore publish the original contract, approved variations, revised bill of quantities, payment certificates and current project valuation.

Such disclosure would help establish whether the increase resulted from inflation, changes in project scope, engineering adjustments or other factors.

A Partial Breakthrough: Vehicles Begin Crossing

On June 4, 2026, vehicles reportedly crossed the Orere Bridge for the first time, marking a major milestone for residents of the area.

At the time, the project was reported to be approximately 82.25 per cent complete.

The development offered hope to communities that had long depended on waterways for transportation.

However, the commencement of vehicular crossings did not signify the completion of the entire project. Outstanding works remained, and the bridge continued to attract government inspections and concerns over the pace of execution.

October 2026: Government Threatens Sanctions

During an inspection in October 2026, Commissioner Reuben Izeze reportedly criticised the contractor for inadequate activity at the project site.

The commissioner rejected continued reliance on rainfall as an explanation for delays and alleged that workers and equipment were mobilised mainly when government officials were expected to visit.

He warned that another unsatisfactory inspection could lead to recommendations for sanctions.

The latest concerns underscore the central challenge facing the project: ensuring that a substantial public investment translates into a completed and durable infrastructure asset.

Five Years On: Who Is Accountable?

The Orere Bridge project illustrates the challenges of delivering major infrastructure in difficult terrain. It also raises fundamental questions about planning, contract administration and public accountability.

The Okowa administration deserves recognition for initiating and awarding the project in 2021. The Oborevwori administration, meanwhile, deserves recognition for sustaining construction and bringing the bridge to the stage where vehicles could cross.

Nevertheless, five years after the original award, the project remains unfinished, while its reported cost has increased dramatically.

For the people of Orere and neighbouring communities, the bridge is not merely a government project. It represents access to economic opportunities, healthcare, education and social development.

The pressing questions are therefore straightforward:

Why has the project taken five years? What precisely accounts for the substantial increase in its cost? And when will the contractor deliver the entire project to the people of Delta State?

Until these questions are answered through transparent documentation and full project completion, the Orere Bridge will remain both a symbol of infrastructure progress and a troubling case study in delayed public works.