The Federal Government has inaugurated a ₦40 billion closed‑circuit television (CCTV) control centre on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State as part of expanded efforts to strengthen surveillance, road safety and infrastructure monitoring on one of the nation’s busiest transport links.
The CCTV centre was commissioned on Sunday, January 11, 2026, by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, at a ceremony attended by officials and security personnel.
The project was executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) under directive of the Federal Government to enhance safety and facilitate real‑time monitoring of traffic, speed compliance and potential security threats along the 11‑kilometre bridge connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.
Umahi said the administration’s intervention responded to the state in which the bridge was found in 2023, alongside other major bridges in Lagos, prompting comprehensive rehabilitation and the installation of advanced monitoring infrastructure.
“When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge… The president, therefore, directed total re‑evaluation and rehabilitation of the surfaces of the Third Mainland Bridge and changing the expansion joints,” he said, describing efforts that preceded the CCTV centre’s commissioning.
The facility’s design includes multiple surveillance screens, 240 solar panels, inverters, a 300 KVA transformer, standby generator, and integrated monitoring systems capable of tracking activity above and below the bridge, officials said.
The centre also includes a surveillance boat and two Hilux vans to be used by the Nigeria Police Force for rapid response and patrol duties, with provisions to incorporate other security agencies as needed.
Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, described the CCTV centre as the first of its kind in Nigeria, noting that monitoring capacity extends to underwater infrastructure as part of broader safety objectives.
The centre forms a crucial layer of risk mitigation for motorists and bridge users, particularly in responding to accidents, traffic disruptions and security incidents.
Umahi also urged motorists to observe traffic laws, expressing concern over excessive speeding on the rehabilitated bridge and emphasising that surveillance is intended to support enforcement of speed limits and other regulations.
The project’s total contract sum was ₦40.17 billion, of which ₦36 billion has been paid to the contractor, the works ministry official said.
The installation includes additional infrastructure such as streetlights and a borehole facility, and the centre marks the initial level commissioning, with plans for a full‑blown commissioning upon completion of the adjacent bridge extension.
Officials stated that the CCTV centre will bolster security collaboration between federal agencies and local law enforcement, aiming to ensure motorists’ safety and maintain continuous oversight of vital transport infrastructure as the nation prepares for upcoming socio‑economic activities in 2026 and beyond.
