A narrow, old bridge that connects two economically vital areas of Nigeria is a chokepoint stifling progress in Africa’s most populous nation.
April 29, 2021
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ON THE RIVER NIGER BRIDGE, Nigeria — After two hours spent in gridlocked traffic trying to cross a bridge spanning the mighty Niger River, despair kicks in. We’ve not moved an inch. I fidget in the back seat. Will we ever make it to the other side?
After being stuck three hours — time mostly spent pondering why in Nigeria, the giant of Africa, this narrow bridge is the only major connection between two economically vital southern regions — acceptance arrives: This is where we’re spending the night.
People emerge from their cars and trucks to stretch, accepting it too. Half a dozen men drift to the curbside, to sit and joke. Women lean on the trunks of their cars and chat.
A man pushing a wheelbarrow bounces past, weaving his way between tanker trucks, yellow buses and vehicles piled with mattresses. His wheelbarrow is a grill, full of hot coals, its contents illuminated by a light clipped to the side. He stops, flipping the meat with tongs.
Low on gas, we kill the engine and open our windows. The smell of suya — spiced meat — drifts in.
Below us, the Niger, Africa’s third-longest river and what gave Nigeria its name, is invisible in hot clouds of exhaust lit by red taillights, its flowing waters inaudible over the noise of idling engines.
A driver calls to the meat seller. I’m about to do the same. Absorbed by the story I’m reporting on Nigeria’s merchants of false hope who promise, for a fee, to help families find loved ones who disappeared in police custody, all we’ve eaten today are a few bananas and peanuts.
But suddenly, we’re moving. Everyone races back to their vehicles. An enormous truck bristling with baskets zooms off as fast as possible, almost grazing the wheelbarrow grill. We’re off! But only for a minute. We get about 50 yards before grinding to a halt.
For all its 56 years, this 4,600-foot steel-truss bridge over the Niger has borne a heavy load, connecting the twin cities of Onitsha, a commercial hub, and calmer Asaba, where many commuters to Onitsha live despite the daily crossing ordeal.
Over the decades, countless truckloads of timber, palm kernels and rubber have passed this way. Every imaginable consumer good — lingerie, snails, motorbikes, toilet brushes, fluorescent mosquito nets, hub caps, paraffin lamps, iPhones — also trundles through, headed to or from West Africa’s biggest commercial market, in buzzing Onitsha.
Each year, goods worth $5 billion are traded at the Onitsha market, a state government agency said in 2016. It was home to Onitsha Market Literature, Nigeria’s pulp fiction industry, and key to the success of Nollywood, Nigeria’s multibillion-dollar movie business: 51 Iweka Road, one of the three biggest movie distributor networks, is in the Onitsha market.
In addition to all those wares, huge numbers of Nigerian travelers also depend on the bridge. Nigeria’s population, estimated to have crossed the 200 million mark, has probably quadrupled since 1965, the year the bridge was built. (Censuses are not often taken, so it’s impossible to know for sure.)
The jam we are stuck in on this November night is no anomaly. Every day, travelers and goods arriving from all directions are funneled toward the bridge, meaning most crossings are going to take hours. The trips are further slowed by security checkpoints on the approaches to the bridge.
This chokepoint over the Niger is obstructing progress in Nigeria’s entrepreneurial southeast, one of the country’s most prosperous regions.
But the dearth of bridges — and the dilapidated or incomplete state of much of Nigeria’s infrastructure — is a broad problem holding the entire country back, analysts say.
“It impacts the cost of doing business,” said Patrick Okigbo, a policy analyst who worked with Nigeria’s last government to develop a national infrastructure plan. “It impacts lives. If they can afford it, nobody travels by road anymore. If you can’t, then you go on a prayer.”
A mile downstream from the crowded scene on the Niger Bridge, invisible in the viscous night air, may lie an answer: another bridge, half built.
The Second Niger Bridge was originally proposed in 1978, and ever since has been used as a campaign promise by national politicians seeking the support of voters in the southeast. It took more than three decades for the work to begin, but finally the company building the six-lane bridge says it will be ready by 2022.
When done, it will be “a huge sigh of relief to all Easterners in this country,” says Newman Nwankwo, 33, a businessman based in Onitsha who often plans his whole day around bridge traffic. Either he tries to cross at the lunchtime lull between noon and 2 p.m., or he waits until Sunday.
He won’t even attempt the crossing unless he has at least half a tank of gas.
“If I don’t plan well and I meet traffic, I just relax here in the queue, putting my A.C. and music on,” he said.
Stalled on the bridge, I look around and imagine what all these people could be doing if their time weren’t being sucked away by these daily snarl-ups and the four-decade wait for another option across the river. Bridges cause traffic all over the world, but this one’s aging steel rivets seem to be under more pressure than any I have ever crossed.
Another hour ticks by. We move a few inches.
People pass by, selling cold water and Coke. Where there is a go-slow, as traffic jams are known in Nigeria, vendor business blossoms.
Any movement is an on-again, off-again process. At one point when traffic starts forward, the driver in front of us is asleep. No amount of honking wakes him. Someone rushes over to shake him awake.
We go for 30 seconds. We stop for 30 minutes.
At midnight we make it across. It’s taken almost six hours to do three miles.
Leaving the bridge, we pass under a large sign on the Asaba side.
“Welcome,” it reads, optimistically, “to the land of progress.”
Ruth Maclean is the West Africa bureau chief of The New York Times.
Balanset-1A: Cutting-edge Portable Balancer & Vibration Analyzer
Professional Dynamic Balancing Solution
Balanset-1A represents an groundbreaking solution for rotor balancing of rotors in their own bearings, created by Estonian company Vibromera OU. The device provides professional equipment balancing at €1,751, which is significantly cheaper than traditional vibration analyzers while maintaining exceptional measurement accuracy. The system permits in-place balancing directly at the equipment’s installation site without necessitating removal, which is vital for minimizing production downtime.
About the Manufacturer
Vibromera OU is an Estonian company focusing in the development and production of devices for technical diagnostics of industrial equipment. The company is incorporated in Estonia (registration number 14317077) and has branches in Portugal.
Contact Information:
Official website: https://vibromera.eu/shop/2/
Technical Specifications
Measurement Parameters
Balanset-1A delivers high-precision measurements using a dual-channel vibration analysis system. The device measures RMS vibration velocity in the range of 0-80 mm/s with an accuracy of ±(0.1 + 0.1?Vi) mm/s. The functional frequency range is 5-550 Hz with possible extension to 1000 Hz. The system supports rotational speed measurement from 250 to 90,000 RPM with phase angle determination accuracy of ±1 degree.
Working Principle
The device employs phase-sensitive vibration measurement technology with MEMS accelerometers ADXL335 and laser tachometry. Two mono-directional accelerometers measure mechanical vibrations proportional to acceleration, while a laser tachometer generates pulse signals for calculating rotation frequency and phase angle. Digital signal processing includes FFT analysis for frequency analysis and custom algorithms for automatic calculation of corrective masses.
Full Kit Components
The standard Balanset-1A delivery includes:
Measurement unit with USB interface – main module with embedded preamplifiers, integrators, and ADC
2 vibration sensors (accelerometers) with 4m cables (alternatively 10m)
Optical sensor (laser tachometer) with 50-500mm measuring distance
Magnetic stand for sensor mounting
Electronic scales for precise measurement of corrective masses
Software for Windows 7-11 (32/64-bit)
Plastic transport case
Complete set of cables and documentation
Functional Capabilities
Vibrometer Mode
Balanset-1A operates as a comprehensive vibration analyzer with features for measuring overall vibration level, FFT spectrum analysis up to 1000 Hz, measuring amplitude and phase of the fundamental frequency (1x), and continuous data recording. The system delivers display of time signals and spectral analysis for equipment condition diagnostics.
Balancing Mode
The device supports one-plane (static) and two-plane (dynamic) balancing with automatic calculation of correction masses and their installation angles. The unique influence coefficient saving function permits significant acceleration of subsequent balancing of identical equipment. A specialized grinding wheel balancing mode uses the three-correction-weight method.
Software
The easy-to-use program interface provides step-by-step guidance through the balancing process, making the device usable to personnel without special training. Key functions include:
Automatic tolerance calculation per ISO 1940
Polar diagrams for imbalance visualization
Result archiving with report generation capability
Metric and imperial system support
Multilingual interface (English, German, French, Polish, Russian)
Application Areas and Equipment Types
Industrial Equipment
Balanset-1A is effectively applied for balancing fans (centrifugal, axial), pumps (hydraulic, centrifugal), turbines (steam, gas), centrifuges, compressors, and electric motors. In production facilities, the device is used for balancing grinding wheels, machine spindles, and drive shafts.
Agricultural Machinery
The device provides particular value for agriculture, where continuous operation during season is critically important. Balanset-1A is used for balancing combine threshing drums, shredders, mulchers, mowers, and augers. The capability to balance on-site without equipment disassembly permits avoiding costly downtime during critical harvest periods.
Specialized Equipment
The device is effectively used for balancing crushers of various types, turbochargers, drone propellers, and other high-speed equipment. The RPM frequency range from 250 to 90,000 RPM covers virtually all types of industrial equipment.
Advantages Over Competitors
Economic Efficiency
At a price of €1,751, Balanset-1A offers the functionality of devices costing €10,000-25,000. The investment breaks even after preventing just 2-3 bearing failures. Savings on third-party balancing specialist services totals thousands of euros annually.
Ease of Use
Unlike complex vibration analyzers requiring months of training, mastering Balanset-1A takes 3-4 hours. The step-by-step guide in the software allows professional balancing by personnel without specific vibration diagnostics training.
Portability and Autonomy
The complete kit weighs only 4 kg, with power supplied through the laptop’s USB port. This allows balancing in remote conditions, at isolated sites, and in difficult-access locations without additional power supply.
Versatile Application
One device is suitable for balancing the most extensive spectrum of equipment – from small electric motors to large industrial fans and turbines. Support for one and two-plane balancing covers all common tasks.
Real Application Results
Drone Propeller Balancing
A user achieved vibration reduction from 0.74 mm/s to 0.014 mm/s – a 50-fold improvement. This demonstrates the exceptional accuracy of the device even on small rotors.
Shopping Center Ventilation Systems
Engineers effectively balanced radial fans, achieving lower energy consumption, eliminated excessive noise, and prolonged equipment lifespan. Energy savings paid for the device cost within several months.
Agricultural Equipment
Farmers note that Balanset-1A has become an vital tool preventing costly breakdowns during peak season. Lower vibration of threshing drums led to reduced fuel consumption and bearing wear.
Investment and Delivery Terms
Current Prices
Complete Balanset-1A Kit: €1,751
OEM Kit (without case, stand, and scales): €1,561
Special Offer: €50 discount for newsletter subscribers
Wholesale Discounts: up to 15% for orders of 4+ units
Acquisition Options
Official Website: vibromera.eu (recommended)
eBay: verified sellers with 100% rating
Industrial Distributors: through B2B channels
Payment and Shipping Terms
Payment Methods: PayPal, credit cards, bank transfer
Shipping: 10-20 business days by international mail
Shipping Cost: from $10 (economy) to $95 (express)
Warranty: manufacturer’s warranty
Technical Support: included in price
Final Assessment
Balanset-1A constitutes an optimal solution for organizations striving to establish an successful equipment balancing system without major capital expenditure. The device makes accessible access to professional balancing, enabling small enterprises and service centers to deliver services at the level of large industrial companies.
The blend of accessible price, ease of use, and professional features makes Balanset-1A an indispensable tool for modern technical maintenance. Investment in this device is an investment in equipment stability, lower operating costs, and enhanced competitiveness of your business.