Alia To Build Two New Bridges In Kwande, Vandeikya

Iorfa Akpen

For years, crossing River Ayaa and the streams in Maav-Ya meant wading through water, waiting for hours, or getting carried on someone’s back. That wait is about to end.

Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia has ordered work to begin immediately on two new bridges in rural Benue. One is a 3-span reinforced concrete bridge at River Ayaa in Mbashagba, Mbaduku, in Vandeikya LGA. The second is a 2-span bridge at Tomataan settlement in Maav-Ya district, Kwande LGA.

The timing matters. Both areas feed markets across the state with cassava, rice, yams, palm oil, groundnuts, plantain and Bambara nuts. But getting those goods out has been the hard part.

Zaki Benjamin Tyav, Kindred Head of Mbashagba, said the new bridge will link Mbashagba and Mbazerem people in Tsar. “This road carries our harvests,” he said. “When the river rises, everything stops.”

In Maav-Ya, District Head Zaki Ater Gbaagyile explained that the Tomataan bridge connects Nyihemba to Anwase and Abande, all the way to the Cameroon border. It’s a busy route for trade, but also a risky one.

Iorahule Angel, a student at Community Secondary School, Nyihemba, knows it too well. After heavy rain, the old wooden bridge disappears under water. “Vehicles can’t pass, so we just wait. Sometimes people have to cross on shoulders,” she said.

The project is being handled under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project. Engr. Favosun Akpen, Head of Infrastructure Engineering, who represented State Project Coordinator Stephen Numbeve, said the directive is deliberate: open up rural roads so farming can pay better and life gets easier.

Community leaders didn’t hide their appreciation. Both Zaki Gbaagyile and Zaki Tyav thanked the Governor for picking their communities and pledged support through 2027 to “keep seeing more dividends of democracy.”

Stephen Ijoh from Development Communication urged residents to protect the project. He asked villagers to secure materials once they arrive on site and called on youth to work with the contractor for a fast build.

Hassan Usman of RealBoard Ltd, the construction firm, also thanked the state government. He asked the communities to cooperate so the bridges can be delivered on time.

When the concrete is poured, the daily gamble of crossing these rivers will be over. For farmers, traders, and school children, it means fewer delays, safer trips, and more of their produce reaching the market.