By Mu’azu Osekalago

To demonstrate its commitment to the Bagana-Guto bridge project, the Nasarawa State Government has released the sum of one billion naira (N1,000,000,000) to the contracting firm handling the project.

The amount was part of Nasarawa State’s 2.2 billion naira counterpart funding for the project being jointly financed by Nasarawa, Kogi and the Federal Government.

The Bagana-Guto Bridge, when completed, would link the states of Nasarawa and Kogi and also boost economic activities between the two states.

Presenting a cheque to the chairman of Digital Toll Company Limited (DTCL), the contracting firm handling the project, Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa State said the project was a welcome initiative "in our development efforts in the transport sector."

Governor Doma stressed that the payment of Nasarawa State’s equity contribution was a confirmation of the state’s faith in the project, which he described as "having a lot of contribution to the socio-economic development of the entire nation."

"Because of the importance we have attached to the project, the state government did not hesitate to associate itself with it," the governor stated.

He gave the assurance that the remaining 1.2 billion naira being part of Nasarawa State’s equity contribution to the project would be paid before the end of the first quarter of 2009.

Responding after receiving the cheque, chairman of DTCL, Captain Paul Thahar, applauded Nasarawa State Government for its commitment to the early completion of the project.

He assured that the amount received by the company from the state government would be put into the project "and we will all benefit from it."

It would be recalled that in 2006 the Federal Government has approved the contract for the construction of Bagana-Guto bridge linking Nasarawa State with Kogi State.

The twenty-seven billion naira (N27,000,000,000) project covered 1.5 kilometres length of bridge across river Guto and over 60 kilometres of road.

Briefing members of the Nasarawa State executive council about the project, Engineer Hilal Goel of DTCL said the project was based on Design, Build, Operate and Transfer initiative.

He stressed that when completed, the project would "make Nasarawa State one of the best economies in Nigeria by the year 2020."