Transport unions in Kwara State have had enough. They're threatening mass action against the federal and state governments over two collapsed bridges that have cut off entire communities and wrecked livelihoods.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) issued the warning at a joint press conference in Ilorin on Saturday. They said the Oko-Olowo and Ohan bridges are in such bad shape that they've severely disrupted economic and social life in parts of Kwara and neighbouring Oyo State.
Alhaji AbdulRahman Olayinka Onikijipa, chairman of RTEAN in Kwara, and his NURTW counterpart, Alhaji Abdulrasak Adeoye Ariwo-ola, spoke for the unions. They said they'd tried repeatedly to get the attention of officials at the Kwara State Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Works in Ilorin and Abuja — but got no response.
“We've done everything humanly possible to make the state and federal governments see reason, but their refusal prompted this press conference,” Onikijipa said. He warned that if nothing changes, the unions would take mass action against the governments.
The Oko-Olowo/Moro bridge project was started in 2017 during former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration. It was meant to connect Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas to communities in Oyo State, including Kishi, Igbeti, Igboho, and Iseyin. But the project was abandoned, leaving residents and traders stranded.
To make matters worse, the Ohan River iron bridge — a colonial-era structure — has also collapsed. That's forced transport operators to rely on makeshift river crossings. During the rainy season, those crossings become impassable, leaving many drivers jobless and cutting off entire communities.
The unions said the situation is affecting more than just transport. Emergency services can't move freely. Ambulances struggle to reach patients. Inmates and suspects can't be taken to courts in Ilorin during flooding. They also warned that electoral processes in Kwara North could be disrupted because election materials may not reach polling units on inaccessible roads.
Onikijipa appealed directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the Minister of Works to complete the bridges urgently. The unions also urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to step in and work with federal agencies. They suggested the state government could carry out the repairs itself and later seek reimbursement from the federal government.
The unions made it clear they're out of patience. “If after everything they still refuse to repair the bridges, we know what to do — we will take mass action against the governments,” Onikijipa said.
For now, communities in Kwara North remain cut off. Traders can't move goods. Families struggle to travel. And transport operators watch their income disappear every time it rains. The unions say they're ready to act — and they're waiting to see if anyone in power is listening.