Deutsche Bank has indicated its interest in funding major rehabilitation and replacement works on two of Lagos’ most critical bridges—the Carter Bridge and the 3rd Mainland Bridge—as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to attract private capital for large-scale road infrastructure projects.
A delegation from the bank, led by Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Structured Trade and Export Finance, Moritz Dornemann, and Chief Country Representative in Nigeria, Andreas Voss, met with Minister of Works David Umahi in Abuja on Tuesday. The visit also reaffirmed the bank’s interest in financing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
According to a statement from the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Orji Uchenna, the engagement forms part of the government’s push to build sustainable partnerships with global financiers to accelerate funding for strategic national projects.
The Deutsche Bank delegation expressed admiration for the Federal Government’s resolve to upgrade ageing transport infrastructure and praised President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to delivering large-scale road projects aimed at boosting national productivity. The bank specifically highlighted the replacement of Carter Bridge, one of Lagos’ oldest and historically significant bridges, and comprehensive rehabilitation of the underwater elements of the 3rd Mainland Bridge, Africa’s second-longest bridge.
“The Minister of Works, David Umahi, held a meeting with the officials of Deutsche Bank… who indicated interest in the funding of the replacement of Carter Bridge, Lagos and the rehabilitation of 3rd Mainland Bridge, Lagos,” the statement read.
The bank also lauded Hitech Construction Ltd’s quality of work on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, noting that the project’s progress increased confidence in Nigeria’s infrastructure delivery capacity and expanded appetite to fund future phases.
Minister Umahi commended the bank for its confidence in Nigeria’s infrastructure programme, revealing that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had been oversubscribed by over $100 million. He explained that the deteriorating condition of Carter Bridge necessitates replacement, while the 3rd Mainland Bridge requires comprehensive underwater restoration to extend its lifespan by another 50 years.
Umahi assured Deutsche Bank that both projects are progressing through an unbiased procurement process and promised the bank would be kept informed once successful bidders emerge.
The engagement reflects the Federal Government’s renewed drive to attract reputable global financiers to fill funding gaps in national road infrastructure, particularly in Lagos, where critical bridges have faced decades of wear, saltwater corrosion, and heavy traffic loads.
Opened in 1990, the 3rd Mainland Bridge has undergone multiple phases of rehabilitation since 2012, including repairs to expansion joints, bearings, and the deck. Engineering assessments have highlighted concerns over the underwater piles, prompting the government to plan comprehensive restoration.
Carter Bridge, originally built in 1901 and rebuilt in the 1970s, is similarly challenged by structural fatigue and corrosion. Although remedial works have been ongoing, the government now prioritizes its replacement to avert long-term risks.
