"I trekked for 9km!" - Lagosians bitterly wail after spending hours in traffic

Lagos—the city that never sleeps—was not a metaphor yesterday as a percentage of Lagosians actually spent the night on the road. Tell me why.

April 2nd, 2025 is a day Lagosians won’t forget in a hurry. The traffic was a nightmare and it all began when repair work on the Independence Bridge started on April 1st, forcing its closure and pushing commuters onto alternative routes.

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With the Independence Bridge closed and an early-morning downpour, Lagos saw traffic like never before. Commuters left home at 5 AM, arrived at work by 2 PM, and by 1 AM, they were still on the road. No city can beat this - Lagos might have just won an award - the traffic jam of the nation!

Victoria Island and Ikoyi were the worst hit, with most streets witnessing bumper-to-bumper traffic. A Lagosian who decided to trek said he did 9km! On a moderate pace, that is 1 hour 30 minutes of walking you didn't plan for.

For a few hours, traffic made everyone equal both rich and poor. Police escort could not help anybody because nobody could move. Some slept in their cars, while those who could afford it, parked their cars on the road and checked into nearby hotels. Lagos humbled everyone.

Other states didn’t hold back, they mocked Lagosians mercilessly. "Five hours in traffic? Is this life?" they asked. According to one PH resident, while Lagosians sleep and wake in traffic, by 8 PM in PH, the roads are empty. And so, they can’t relate.

Some finished an entire series, others read two books in that traffic. While some were doing analysis paralysis, others used the opportunity to create content. Curious though, what if sh*t catch you inside that traffic?

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Traffic to the Island and back is always brutal, so why was this decision made without considering the residents? People are using this moment to demand an underground train network saying Lagos desperately needs it. With bad roads, and a lack of alternative routes, something has to change. But will you enter an underground train in Lagos?

Political analysts rose up to the occasion, they pointed out that Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), governorship aspirant in the last election proposed short bridges in his manifesto but he wasn't elected because he was not “Yoruba enough.” According to them, traffic management is a critical part of civil engineering, yet it seems those in charge of Lagos’ roads either don’t understand it or simply don’t consider it.

Most commuters spent upwards of six hours on distances that ordinarily would take them two to three hours. Transport fares shot up by over 100 per cent. When the cries of Lagosians rose to the high heavens, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi directed the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge. Medicine after death or whatever they call it. It is well.

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