Community leaders lament declining state of infrastructure in Ikorodu

Some community leaders and residents in Ikorodu, Lagos State, have raised the alarm over the deplorable state of infrastructure in the area. The leader of the Agura Gberigbe community on the Ikorodu Central axis, Ahmed Akodu, lamented that the only access road to the place is ridden with potholes.

According to him, commuters who use the road have experienced damage to their vehicles. Many people who cannot afford the high cost of daily maintenance have sold their cars.

Akodu mentioned that Gbodu junction, a main route to the Agura-Gberigbe area, is constantly flooded during the rainy season. This has made commuting difficult for vehicle owners, commercial motorcyclists, and students and has forced other residents to use longer routes with higher costs.

He said property owners are no longer finding renters, and commercial activities are at an all-time low. The potholes are getting deeper, making access to the community more difficult.

He said: “The road started deteriorating in 2009, and there has been no remedial effort from the government to revive it and bring it back to its former glory. We are appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to come to our aid so that we will not be cut off from the state.”

The leader of Asolo/Agbede-Olunla in the Ikorodu West area, Olabamiji Ishaq, also a property owner, stated that the lack of specific infrastructure has caused significant damage to properties in the community, which will require substantial effort and money to repair. He explained that the heavy rainfall in June and July led to the collapse of the reinforcement holding his building and fence. He expressed regret that if the government had provided the community with a better drainage system, such extensive damage wouldn’t have occurred to his property.

Ishaq mentioned that the bridge connecting Asolo to Agbede over the river in the community is too narrow and can only accommodate two vehicles at a time. He noted that residents in the two communities struggle to navigate the road during the rainy season, especially when the river exceeds its banks, causing flooding. Consequently, commuters have resorted to taking a longer route or staying indoors until the water recedes. Ishaq attributed the deteriorating state of the community’s infrastructure to government neglect, years of underfunding, and lack of maintenance.

“As a result, property values in the community have decreased, leading to reduced economic opportunities,” he said. He appealed for urgent intervention from the federal and state governments to revitalise the infrastructure in the Agbede-Olunla community. According to him, government intervention and residents’ cooperation are needed to impact the community positively.