Nasarawa Communities Cut Off From Schools, Hospitals, Markets For Over 3 Years As Only Bridge Collapses –Report | Sahara Reporters

The report noted that the prolonged collapse of the bridge has severely disrupted the movement of residents and restricted their access to essential services.

Residents of several communities in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have remained cut off from schools, hospitals, markets and other essential services for over three years following the collapse of the only bridge linking them.

According to a report by a civic technology organisation, MonITNG, in a report on the ‘State of Roads in Nigeria,’ the collapsed bridge links Gwanje, near the College of Education, to Angwan Ruwa, Ngazu, Ndoh, Kola, Nganche, Angre, Vereh and Numan Gona communities, leaving residents to grapple with worsening access to essential services while connecting roads have also deteriorated.

The report noted that the prolonged collapse of the bridge has severely disrupted the movement of residents and restricted their access to essential services.

“Dear Governor Abdullahi A. Sule, the only bridge connecting communities in Akwanga LGA, Nasarawa State has been cut off for over 3 years,” MonITNG stated in the report.

The report revealed that the situation has affected residents’ ability to access healthcare facilities, schools, markets and other essential services.

“Today, its collapse is affecting how residents access healthcare facilities, schools, markets and other essential services,” the report added.

MonITNG expressed concern over the condition of roads connecting the affected communities, saying the roads have deteriorated to the point where residents are “almost completely cut off from each other.”

The organisation called on the Nasarawa State Government and the Nigerian authorities responsible for roads to intervene urgently.

The development highlights concerns over the impact of prolonged infrastructure failures on rural communities, particularly where damaged bridges and roads serve as the primary routes to schools, healthcare centres, markets and other basic services.

Residents of the affected communities are now facing prolonged difficulties moving between neighbouring settlements, while the poor condition of the connecting roads compounds the effect of the collapsed bridge.

MonITNG’s report comes amid continuing concerns over the condition of roads and bridges across Nigeria, with poor transportation infrastructure frequently disrupting economic activities and access to essential public services in rural communities.

The condition of the communities comes against the backdrop of significant government spending and commitments to road infrastructure across Nigeria.

The Nigerian government records show that ₦784.60 billion was released for road-related projects in 2024, including ₦383.74 billion for road construction, ₦384.49 billion for rehabilitation and repair, and ₦16.37 billion for road and bridge maintenance.

In 2025, another ₦670.68 billion was released for road construction and rehabilitation, comprising ₦269.75 billion for construction and ₦400.94 billion for rehabilitation and repair.

The Nigerian government also announced in December 2024 that it was partnering with the World Bank under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), with $600 million earmarked to rehabilitate 200,000 kilometres of rural roads.

Of the fund, $500 million was to come from the World Bank, while $100 million was to be provided as counterpart funding by the federal and state governments.

In Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule’s administration has also repeatedly highlighted spending on rural connectivity.

In May 2024, the state announced that it inaugurated a 15-kilometre Garaku-Gurku-Dari Road in Kokona Local Government Area, a project the government said cost ₦3.67 billion.

The governor said the administration was constructing rural roads to improve interconnectivity among communities and stimulate economic activities.

The Nasarawa State Government also said it had used ₦13.6 billion received under a federal intervention programme to construct 227 kilometres of rural roads across the state’s 13 local government areas, alongside other projects including boreholes and solar installations.

Governor Sule said in November 2025 that his administration had constructed about 639 kilometres of roads across Nasarawa State, while announcing further rural-road projects in Wamba, Akwanga and Nasarawa-Eggon local government areas.

Yet, despite these reported expenditures, MonITNG’s report has revealed how the only bridge connecting several communities in Akwanga Local Government Area has remained cut off for more than three years, raising questions about the reach and effectiveness of infrastructure spending at the community level in the state.