With multiple transportation infrastructure embarked upon by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration in Lagos State, the economic potentials of the state are fast unfurling, Abdullahi Muhammed Idris, reckons
Nothing better underscores what the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration is doing in road construction in Lagos State, than the words of two notable British politicians.
Sir Alok Sharma, a British Conservative Party politician, who served in various capacities in the UK government, noted in a quote that, “Infrastructure is the backbone of economic growth. It improves access to basic services such as clean water and electricity, creates jobs and boosts business.”
Also, a former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, corroborated this when she added that, “You and I come by road or rail, but economists travel on infrastructure.”
Much as there is always a lot to be done in the aspect of infrastructure development in Lagos State due to its cosmopolitan nature and the consequent pressure on resources, no objective observer would deny the fact that in line with his campaign slogan ‘Greater Lagos Rising’, Governor Sanwo-Olu has not only committed huge resources to opening and linking the state with better road networks, he has shown more than a passing interest in ensuring easier traveling experience for commuters by focusing on those roads that have huge impacts on daily lives.
Since he came into office, Sanwo-Olu has completed and commissioned quite a number of critical roads. They include but not limited to the 34 roads at Kosofe, Somolu, Victoria Island and Ikoyi, completed and commissioned three roads in Oniru, Victoria Island (Adeola Hopewell, Idowu Taylor and Afribank/Churchgate Streets). In Ikoyi, MacDonald Road/Lateef Jakande Roads, Milverton Road and Thompson Avenue were also completed.
Other iconic roads commenced, completed and commissioned were the Ijede Road Phase 1 in Ikorodu, the 1.4 km flyover and dual carriageway at Pen-Cinema Bridge, Agege, Tedi-Muwo Link Bridge, Lagos-Ogun boundary Roads in Alimosho and Agbado-Oke–Odo, 31 network of roads in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), the 13.68 kilometers Oshodi-Abule-Egba BRT corridor.
While the Sanwo-Olu administration has flagged off the construction of 3.89-kilometre-long all-important Ojota-Opebi link Bridge, some other road projects that are ongoing include the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Agric-Isawo Road, Ikorodu, Bola Tinubu-Igbogbo-Imota Road, Oba Sekumade Road, Ipakodo, Ikorodu, and Itamaga to Ewu Elepe town.
As part of an obvious commitment to ensuring the ease of movement by road users in the state, the government, recognizing the importance of roads to a mega city, also reconfigured some strategic roundabouts across the state, including the Allen Avenue roundabout, Ikotun roundabout, Maryland roundabout, Lekki roundabout and Ajah roundabout.
The administration has further committed resources to sectional rehabilitations on some 361 roads across the state and 650 inner roads were rehabilitated by the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC). While a 384-capacity multi-level car park was built at Onikan, Lagos, 78 bus shelters were constructed in various locations in the state, and 22 were ongoing.
The consequence of these massive road projects is very glaring. Many of the traffic jams synonymous with Lagos are becoming things of the past. For instance, Ikeja residents and other motorists in the area are eagerly looking forward to the completion of the Ojota-Opebi link bridge, which is expected to link Ikeja to Ojota. This project, which has won the Lagos State Government accolades from the people of the state, is expected to significantly reduce the pressure on existing roads in Ikeja and Ojota areas.
The reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway from four lanes to ten lanes and the Blue Line project, which he inherited from previous governments and has pursued desperately, are some of the legacy projects by which the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership would be remembered in years to come.
The beauty of this road is that it links Nigeria and some of her neighbours like the Benin Republic, Ghana, Togo, and West African nations, thereby facilitating trade and commerce between them. The project, therefore, stands to bring about rapid economic development in that corridor and as well, make life pretty much easier for residents.
Conversely, there is a huge pressure on Lagos roads due to her population size, and so, experts and commentators have always had a convergence on the need for a holistic approach that integrates all other means of transportation, and so, like his predecessors, but only with an obvious greater tenacity, Sanwo-Olu has pursued other means of transportation in the state.
Talk about the recent flag-off of the Lagos Red Line Rail Mass, which shares tracks with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Sanwo-Olu did the groundbreaking on April 15, 2021. He has since acquired 10-Car intra-city metropolitan speed trains for the 37km Lagos Red Line project. While embarking on the project, 263 residents whose property was affected by the right of way were compensated. The government also completed the 380-metre-long sea crossing bridge component of the Lagos Blue Line Rail from Mile 2 to Marina.
To further address transportation issues for commuters in the state, Governor Sanwo-Olu launched LagRide with 1,000 units of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). The LagRide enables users to book and share the cost of a ride with commuters plying similar routes. Four bus terminal were commissioned in Mafoluku, Yaba, Oyingbo and Ajah. Fourteen new BRT stations were constructed, and the government introduced 500 units of First and Last Mile (FLM) buses to curtail the menace of the commercial motorcycles, popularly known as ‘Okada’.
Now, Lagosians enjoy the comfort of 560 high-medium capacity buses acquired to ply standard routes. Lagos Bus Service Limited (LBSL) celebrated the 10 million passengers (about half the population of New York) that used the facility. That is an unprecedented landmark achievement. By March 2022, the total number of passengers transported was 20,024,985. The LBSL has generated no fewer than 700 jobs and the number is still climbing.
Still as part of ensuring smooth movement of people, goods and services in the state, the Sanwo-Olu administration employed 1,300 LASTMA officers to manage traffic and deployed traffic lights and CCTV cameras in strategic places as a deterrent to bad road use habit by drivers.
To further take advantage of the Lagos waterways, the LAGFERRY, which is the Lagos State Ferry Service now has 21 boats. Sanwo-Olu commissioned eight new locally made boats on February 6, 2020, while seven new ones were added to the fleet on June 22, 2021. The ferry services are now extended to Bayeku-Oke-Ira Nla – Badore and Ilaje Bariga–Victoria Island – Falomo – CMS/Marina – Ebute Ero. Millions of Lagosians now have the option of water transportation.
Jetties are constructed at Apa, Badagry, V1P Chalet, Badagry, Isalu, Ajido, Badagry, Ilado Amuwo Odofin, Ilashe, Amuwo-Odofin, Ito Omu Epe, Offin, Ikorodu, Takwa Bay Eti Osa, Ijede Waterfront, Ikorodu, Marina Waterfront, and Liverpool-Apapa where boats can dock or be moored.
During the 2024 Budget Consultative Forum held in Ikeja recently, the Lagos State Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mosepefoluwa George, said the state recorded Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of approximately N400 billion.
She expressed the state’s forward-looking optimism that this staggering achievement could be surpassed, stating that, “We’re fortunate because we are going in the right direction, and hopefully, we can continue to build on that to attract the right investments and funding to be able to independently finance our budgets and projects.”
An insightful look into the policy framework of the state will indicate that one of the important factors facilitating rapid economic growth in the state is the massive road construction. These roads reduce time and money wasted in several hours of traffic gridlock. There is no doubt that if the state continues the way it is presently going, the IGR would exponentially in the near future.
Something important to take note of about the Lagos State road projects is the fact that Sanwo-Olu wants them to solve specific problems. When he was flagging off the reconstruction of the Adeniji Adele, Oke Popo and Tapa Street in Lagos Island, he said both roads would ensure accessibility to the 150-bed ultramodern New Massey Children’s Hospital in Lagos Island.
Agreeing with Sharma and Thatcher, Sanwo-Olu linked good road network to ease doing business, saying it increases access to quality healthcare and reduces infants and maternal mortality.
Also worthy of note is that due to his resolve to want to reduce traffic congestion and improve travel time for commuters in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to actualising the Fourth Mainland Bridge project is unwavering.
Recently, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) met to review legal advisers’ report at the Public Private Partnership (PPP), Lagos Office, and discussed the selected bidders’ legal proposal and draft concession agreement for the project. It may interest readers to know that after presenting the environmental and social impact assessment report and resettlement policy framework for the project, the Federal Ministry of Environment has granted a no-objection approval for the project to commence. So, as a project in the pipeline, Lagosians can look forward to that as well.
No doubt, Sanwo-Olu’s work in road development has turned Lagos to a continuous huge construction site and won him commendations from many people, who directly feel the impacts of the projects, but more than that, the governor is enlisting his name among the iconic Lagos leaders, whose efforts at developing the state would outlive them.
*Idris, a financial analyst, lives in Ikeja part of the mainland