Suspended in time and history, the Lugard Footbridge in Kaduna is more than just a pedestrian crossing. It’s one of the last tangible relics of Nigeria’s colonial era. Built in 1904 during the administration of Sir Frederick Lugard, the bridge was originally located in Zungeru, then the capital of the Northern Protectorate, before being dismantled and relocated to Kaduna in 1920 when the new administrative capital was established.
The bridge’s iron latticework, riveted joints, and wooden planks showcase early 20th-century engineering imported from Britain. For decades, it served as a vital connection for colonial officers, soldiers, and residents, standing as a witness to the early shaping of Kaduna as the political nerve center of Northern Nigeria.
Today, the Lugard Footbridge is preserved within the General Hassan Katsina House grounds, offering visitors a chance to physically walk across a structure that has spanned both time and purpose. The site is popular among history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and those tracing the story of Nigeria’s amalgamation era.
While modest in size, the bridge carries heavy symbolic weight that linked the past to the present, colonial authority to modern governance, and Nigeria’s fragmented beginnings to its eventual unification.
