Hundreds of concerned residents of Festac Town in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, under the aegis of the TakeBack Festac-Amuwo Fairstack Movement, staged a peaceful walk on Sunday to draw attention to the deplorable state of their community and demand urgent government intervention.
Once a cherished neighbourhood, Festac Town has for years suffered severe infrastructural neglect, with roads riddled with potholes, broken drainage, endless visits to mechanics, and the daily struggle of navigating collapsing streets. From young traders to elderly parents, medical professionals to community leaders, the frustration was evident.
As chants of “We need better roads” rang out, the message was clear: Festac residents are not giving up on their community. They insist that the resilience that enabled Festac to host the world during FESTAC ’77 must now be matched by equal commitment from government at all levels.
Coordinator of the movement, Valentine Uduebo, said this was not the first time residents had taken to the streets. According to him, a protest in July had forced some action from authorities.
“The first walk gave birth to this,” he explained. “On July 7, no less than 20 trucks of granite were moved to 2nd Avenue. That showed somebody was listening: the president, the governor, even the local government. Palliatives were introduced because of that first trek. Illegal structures are being removed, and the governor himself said other councils should emulate what our local chairman is doing. This second walk is a reminder that we won’t stop. What we want, we will continue to agitate for.”
He stressed that the movement is not political. “This is not for show. We will expose illicit transactions and hold leaders accountable. If the roads are fixed, we’ll push for drainage, then for security, and continue until our community is livable again.”
A medical practitioner and mother, Dumebi Owah, painted a grim picture of how the collapsed roads threaten lives. “The bad road affects us in all ramifications,” she said. “As a doctor, if you’re expecting an emergency case, even a five or ten-minute delay can mean the difference between life and death for a critically ill patient. For women, especially pregnant women, these roads cause serious inconveniences and can even lead to miscarriages.”
She added that the poor infrastructure has made Festac one of the most expensive places to live in Lagos. “Food, transport, every aspect of life here is costly because of logistics. All we are asking for is a basic necessity of life, which is also a basic right of every Nigerian. We are not running away. This is our nation, and we must work together with the government to make it better.”
Chima Nweke, the group’s Financial Secretary, lamented that the situation had crippled life in Festac.
“The situation on the ground has deleted the word swift from our community,” he said. “Ambulances cannot reach patients, policemen cannot respond to emergencies quickly, and logistics have made life unbearably expensive. Most of our cars are at the mechanic’s workshop. In fact, mechanics are thriving here because these bad roads keep giving them business.”
While commending the listening ears of the new local government chairman, he insisted that only sustained pressure will bring lasting results. “This 23rd Road is not the only one. There are others on 21st Road, 311, 7th Avenue; almost all of Festac is in a deplorable condition. We deserve better.
Festac once hosted international bodies and projected Nigeria’s heritage to the world. We must not be ignored. We are strong, resilient, and productive people. All we ask is this: give us roads, give us drainage, and give us power.”
