While many residents on the Lagos Mainland are groaning over the poor state of roads, those living along the Lekki–Epe Expressway have joined the fray, spending hours in traffic gridlock caused by the deteriorating condition of the roads.
Despite being home to some of Lagos State’s most affluent residents and expensive estates, the road network in the area, including the inner roads, has remained in poor condition.
Both residents and commuters continue to lament the deplorable state of the roads, which has also led to an increase in transport fares and longer travel times, especially during the rainy season.
Recently, Nigerian activist Scot Iguma accused the Lagos State Government of abandoning the Chevron road because it no longer collects tolls from motorists following the 2022 EndSARS protests. He lamented that the persistent traffic on the road was causing a loss of productive work hours.
When The Guardian visited the area, it observed the daily struggle of commuters and noted that transport fares had risen by more than 200 per cent, particularly during peak periods.
A motorist and resident, Sunday Shittu, said: “This road is not only causing us to lose productive hours but also a lot of stress due to the logjam. The stretch from Abraham Adesanya to Ajah is hellish and terrible. Ikota to Chevron is plagued with potholes. The Lagos State Government filled some parts, but it didn’t solve anything.
“I spent a lot of time from Ikota to Chevron; I left my house in Terrance’s around 5:00 a.m. and got to Chisco Bus Stop by 7:20 a.m., a journey that should be less than 30 minutes. I couldn’t drive this afternoon, so I had to park my car at the office and go to Ikota to stay with a friend because of fuel issues. The government should come to our aid and fix the road.”
Another resident, Quadri Fuad, said: “I live in Epe and work in Oshodi, and it took me no less than six hours to drive to Oshodi from Epe because the traffic starts around Sangotedo. The road is bad and not motorable, and drivers have to manoeuvre to get by. It’s worse during rainfall.
“I think they’re delaying repairs to use it for the next election campaign after promising to fix it. They should consider that motor parts are expensive. We can’t keep spending money to fix our cars all the time.”
A driver, Henry James, added: “I’m not happy with the state of the road. I don’t enjoy plying it, spending an hour between VGC and Ikota. I’ve repaired my vehicle several times.
They can’t keep watching this road deteriorate for over two years without repair.”
When The Guardian reached out to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, he said: “The government is doing palliative work to ease traffic. We are working on the Lekki–Epe Expressway from Abraham Adesanya, and Lagosians can be sure of speedy completion of the project.”
